IC 814 Web Series Sparks Outrage Over Selective Disclaimer Visibility, Faces Boycott Calls

New Delhi: After row over terrorists identity, Netflix's IC 814 is now facing backlash for selective disclaimer visibility, sparking boycott calls and accusations of "whitewashing" the Kandahar hijacking.

The new Netflix series IC 814, based on the real-life events of the 1999 Kandahar Hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight by terrorists, is once again embroiled in controversy on social media. Some users have claimed that a newly added disclaimer is visible only in India and not in other countries.

The controversy began when the makers of the series showed terrorists identifying each other using code names inclduing Bhola and Shankar, without notifying the audience about their original names. The issue escalated when social media started trending with #BoycottNetflix. However, it hasn't ended there.

Netflix Head Summoned by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting:

After netizens called for a boycott of both the series and the OTT platform Netflix, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting summoned the Content Head of Netflix on September 3 over the content row.

While the performances of the actors, direction, and cinematography are being praised by critics, netizens are criticizing the makers for changing the original names—Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny, Ahmad Qazi, Zahoor Mistry, and Shakir—to Bhola, Shankar, Doctor, Burger, and Chief. They are accusing the makers of "whitewashing" the events and calling for a boycott of the series and Netflix.

In response to the backlash, Netflix added a disclaimer stating, “During the hijacking of IC 814, the terrorists used aliases or code names such as ‘burger,’ ‘doctor,’ ‘chief,’ ‘bhola,’ and ‘shankar.’”

What’s the New Controversy for IC 814:

A new controversy has erupted, with netizens claiming that the added disclaimer is visible only in India and not in other parts of the world. One user shared two videos, purportedly recorded by a friend living in the USA. The first video shows that no disclaimer appears at the start of the series, pointing out the nicknames used by the terrorists during the hijacking.

In contrast, the second video, in which the user accessed the series via a VPN with an Indian server, shows the series beginning with a disclaimer about the changed names, including two names of Lord Shiva (Bhola and Shankar) and three others: Burger, Doctor, and Chief.

The caption of the video reads: "The @NetflixIndia IC 814 KANDAHAR HIJACKING DISCLAIMER IS A JOKE!!! A friend sent me these two videos from the USA. Used VPN and saw that the so-called Disclaimer is there for India only. Misinformation & Propaganda continue to spread in the rest of the world."

Users' Reactions to the Post:

Users in the comment section slammed the streaming site for allegedly running propaganda.

One user said, “They purposely released it as a web series on Netflix to bypass censorship. The government should immediately stop Netflix operations in India.”

Another commented, “Thinking that @netflix & @NetflixIndia would comply with rules or wilfully step away from misinformation was always hilarious. Also, Netflix would say, we are complying with Indian authorities & Indian law won't apply outside India.”

“Wow, I never thought they would do this. That means they want the rest of the world to have a different perspective towards India; I would say great finding, and we definitely need to address this,” added a third.