IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

Former RAW Chief shares insights on what ACTUALLY happened


A web series about the 1999 hijacking of an Indian passenger plane has sparked a controversy in the country over the portrayal of some of the characters.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha for Netflix, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack recounts the events surrounding the hijacking of a Kathmandu-Delhi flight which was taken to Taliban-ruled Kandahar to demand the release of militants jailed in India.


India has blamed Azhar, who founded the Jaish-e-Mohammad group after his release, for several attacks in the country. He has also been designated as a terrorist by the United Nations.


The decision to release Azhar and others remains controversial in India, with the opposition often criticising the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was also in power in 1999, for the move.

What is the controversy?

The six-episode mini-series is based on Flight Into Fear: The Captain's Story, a book by Devi Sharan, who captained the hijacked plane, and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury.

The series, which was released last week, begins with the hijackers making their way into the flight at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

Within minutes of take-off, the militants announce the flight - carrying 179 passengers including the five hijackers and 11 crew members - has been hijacked.

The series focuses on the interactions between the hijackers, the crew and the passengers, and it also shows Indian government officials working to resolve the crisis.

The row began after some social media users criticised the filmmakers for depicting the hijackers calling each other common Hindu names such as Bhola and Shankar, even though their names were Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim and Shakir. All of them were from Pakistan..........