Netflix India’s content head, Monika Shergill, has been summoned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to address concerns over the portrayal of hijackers in the streaming platform’s series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’. Monika Shergill is expected to appear before government officials on Tuesday, September 3, to provide an explanation for the contentious depiction, which has sparked outrage on social media.
The controversy centers on the representation of the hijackers in the series, which dramatizes the real-life hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 in 1999 by the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. In the series, the hijackers are referred to by codenames, including ‘Chief’, ‘Doctor’, ‘Burger’, ‘Bhola’, and ‘Shankar’. The use of the names ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar’, which are traditionally associated with Hindu culture, has led to significant backlash. Critics argue that the series should have more accurately depicted the hijackers as five Muslim terrorists, noting that two of them had adopted Hindu aliases. This choice of representation has raised concerns about the misrepresentation of historical facts and the potential impact on public perception.
Sources from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have indicated that the government is taking this matter seriously. They stressed that no one has the right to distort historical events or hurt the sentiments of the Indian people. According to officials, the series’ depiction is seen as disrespectful to Indian culture and civilization. “You should think before portraying something in the wrong manner,” a source from the Ministry emphasized, highlighting the government’s stance on the issue.
The series ‘IC 814’ is based on the book ‘Flight into Fear: The Captain’s Story’, co-authored by journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury and Devi Sharan, the captain of the hijacked flight. The narrative follows the harrowing experiences of passengers and crew during the hijacking, which saw the plane being diverted to several locations before finally landing in Taliban-controlled Kandahar, Afghanistan. The series features a star-studded cast, including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Arvind Swami, Anupam Tripathi, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Kumud Mishra.
The government’s decision to summon Monika Shergill reflects the heightened sensitivity surrounding media portrayals of historical events, particularly those involving national security and cultural representation. As the discussion unfolds, the response from Netflix and the creative team behind ‘IC 814’ will be closely watched by both the public and the media industry.
