Netflix expanded the disclaimer to Indian audiences with an inspired fantasy series 1999 hijacking of a plane After accusations by Islamist militants, social media users and a high-ranking member of India’s ruling party of portraying the kidnappers as Hindus.
“IC 814: Kandahar Hijack,” released last week, became the latest production by a Western streaming giant to find itself in the cross hairs of India’s Hindu nationalist movement, which it has been accused of creating. An increasingly intolerant environment in the country.
The series depicts five Islamist terrorists hijacking an Indian Airlines flight from Nepal to India and their interactions with the plane’s crew and passengers. In the show, the hijackers identify themselves by code names, including “Shankar”, a common name for Hindu men.
This angered many social media users, with some accusing the makers of denying the Muslim identity of the hijackers. Amit Malviya, a national officer of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said the hijackers’ use of a series of aliases “legitimises their criminal intent.”
“After decades, people will think that Hindus hijacked IC-814,” said Mr. Malviya, who oversees information technology and social media for the BJP. wrote on Monday at X.
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting summoned Netflix executives to discuss the government’s complaints about the show, According to local media reports.
“For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer in India has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers,” Netflix said in a statement on Tuesday.
During the actual hijacking of the flight, over eight days, the terrorists forced the pilots to fly the plane to a number of locations, including Dubai and then Kandahar, Afghanistan, which was then ruled by the Taliban. The plane’s passengers were released after India released three Pakistanis arrested on terrorism charges.
The Indian government said at the time that the five hijackers were from Pakistan and Used code names, including “Shankar”. In front of the passengers and crew to hide their identity.
Ahead of the show’s release on August 29, its director, Anubhav Sinha, Said the scrollAn Indian news site, that their goal was to present the event “as it happened”.
An updated disclaimer on Netflix now says the series “makes no claims to the authenticity or historical accuracy” of the events depicted. It also lists the real names of the hijackers: Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Syed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim and Shakir.
This is not the first time a major streaming platform has faced pressure from Hindu nationalists in India.
Netflix in January Released a film Hindu nationalists said it mocked Hinduism. 2021 Amazon Series Creators Cut some scenes After critics accused him of disrespecting Hindu gods.
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