Netflix India has revised the opening disclaimer of its web series on the 1999 IC-814 Kandahar hijacking to include the real and code names of the hijackers. This change follows widespread criticism on social media, where users accused the streaming platform of deliberately altering the hijackers’ names to “Bhola” and “Shankar.” Monika Shergill, Vice President (Content, India) at Netflix, confirmed the update, stating that it was made to help audiences unfamiliar with the event better understand the series.
Shergill emphasized Netflix’s commitment to authentic storytelling, saying that the code names now accurately reflect those used during the actual hijacking. The series, which portrays the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 by the Pakistan-based terror group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, sparked significant controversy. The incident involved five hijackers diverting the plane to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The Indian government, led by then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, eventually released three terrorists—Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Zargar—in exchange for the safe return of 154 hostages.
Controversy Over ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar’ in Netflix Series
Following the release of the series, a wave of criticism erupted on social media, with hundreds of users accusing creators Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava of altering the names of two hijackers to “Bhola” and “Shankar.”
Critics argue that this change distorts historical facts and misrepresents the true identities of the terrorists involved in the 1999 IC-814 hijacking. Additionally, many have claimed that the use of these names offends Hindu sentiments, further intensifying the backlash against the series.
In January 2000, the Union Home Ministry revealed the real identities of the five hijackers involved in the IC-814 hijacking: Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir.
The ministry also noted that during the hijacking and subsequent hostage situation, the hijackers used code names to communicate, two of which were “Bhola” and “Shankar.” The other code names included “chief,” “doctor,” and “burger.”
Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Netflix series, journalists who covered the hijacking live have taken to social media to support the accuracy of these code names. They shared that passengers had informed them that the hijackers did indeed use these names to address each other during the incident.