IC814 Director Anubhav Sinha Turns Aggressive When Asked If He 'Overlooked ISI's Role' In Show

Over the past few days, negativity has surrounded the new Netflix series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack. It has courted controversy on social media and elsewhere with many claiming that the filmmaker changed the names of the hijackers to 'Shankar' and 'Bhola' to allegedly protect the terrorists who belonged to a certain community. Hashtags such as #BoycottNetflix, #BoycottBollywood and #IC814 trended on social media but many survivors and journalists have come out in support of the series saying that the hijackers did use the code names depicted in the show.

On Tuesday, an event was organised which saw the show's cast and crew coming together for the first time since the controversy. At the event, director Anubhav Sinha seemingly lost his cool when a reporter tried to get a response from him over the row and Netflix's decision to alter some portions of it. Anubhav was asked if he overlooked the role of ISI in the show, to which he replied, “Aapne series dekha hain? Series dekhiye. Baat nahi kar sakta aapse, aapne series nahi dekhi. (Did you watch the series? Watch it first. I can’t talk to you because you haven’t watched it),” ending the press conference abruptly. 

The interesting thing to note is that at the press meet, the cast and crew did not answer questions from the media. The interaction was limited to the making of the show, with the cast and crew steering clear of the controversy altogether.

Netflix India Content Head announces changes to show

Netflix India on Tuesday said it has updated the opening disclaimer of its latest series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, which has courted controversy over its depiction of hijackers' code names. "For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers," said Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content at Netflix India.

"The code names in the series reflect those used during the actual event. India has a rich culture of storytelling — and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation," she said in the statement. Earlier in the day, a meeting was held between Shergill and representatives at Information & Broadcasting Ministry.