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Amidst the controversy over the names of hijackers in the Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, Anil Sharma, the head of the IC 814 cabin crew, questioned why two of the hijackers were given names associated with Hindu gods, while the other three had neutral names. He suggested that there might have been some mischief involved.
In an interview with ANI, Sharma said, "They had these names from the beginning, and it should be noted that the names were not given by the filmmakers. Why they used two names associated with Hindu gods cannot be speculated on, as the issue is 24 years old. Perhaps there was some mischief in their minds because the other three had very neutral names." Sharma also expressed discomfort over the changes to his name, as well as the names of the pilots, flight engineers, and two hostesses. He noted the exclusion of five cabin crew members from the Netflix series, stating, "I don't think I feel very comfortable with this arrangement." "They have even changed the names of the pilots, flight engineers, and my own name. The names of two hostesses have been altered, and five cabin crew members haven't been shown at all. I don't feel comfortable with this arrangement," he said. He also criticised Netflix for not addressing the issue earlier. "Initially, Netflix was very aggressive about it, but now they have backtracked and added a disclaimer. Why couldn't they have done this earlier? Why does there always need to be an outcry over hurt Hindu sentiments before collective action is taken? They could have addressed this from the beginning," Sharma remarked. The Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has sparked controversy on social media over the names of the hijackers. Netflix later updated its disclaimer to include the real and code names of the hijackers. "For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include both the real and code names of the hijackers. The code names used in the series reflect those from the actual event. India has a rich culture of storytelling, and we are committed to showcasing these stories with authentic representation," said Monika Shergill, Vice President of Content at Netflix India. The updated disclaimer followed a meeting between Shergill and the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Delhi on Tuesday, which was held to discuss certain contentious issues with the web series based on the IC-814 hijacking. Additionally, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court by Surjit Singh Yadav, Chief of the Hindu Sena, seeking a ban on the Netflix series. The PIL alleged that the series distorts the identities of the terrorists involved in the hijacking. The petition claimed that the miniseries erroneously assigns Hindu names, such as "Bhola" and "Shankar," which are associated with Lord Shiva, to the real hijackers, Ibrahim Akhtar, Shahid Akhtar Sayeed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Mistry, and Shakir. The hijack drama was created by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Shrivastava. It stars actors Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Arvind Swamy, Patralekhaa, and Dia Mirza. The six-episode series is based on the events of December 24, 1999, when Indian Airlines flight IC 814, en route to Delhi from Kathmandu, was hijacked after taking off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal shortly after entering Indian airspace. (ANI)
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