'IC 814' row: Real-life survivors back Netflix, say 'they showed...'
Pooja Kataria, a survivor of the 1999 IC 814 hijacking, has revisited her traumatic experience amid a growing debate over Netflix's dramatization of the events in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The series has sparked discussions on historical accuracy and creative liberties in its portrayal of the terrorists. Pooja recently detailed harrowing experiences on the hijacked flight, en route from Kathmandu to New Delhi.
A terrorist delivered speeches about converting to Islam: Pooja
Pooja recounted the terrifying moments onboard the hijacked flight. "There were 5 terrorists on board the aircraft. Half an hour after the flight took off, the terrorists declared that the flight was hijacked," she said. "Passengers were ordered to keep their heads down and many experienced panic attacks." "One of the terrorists, code-named 'Burger,' adopted a friendly approach and tried to calm passengers by initiating a game of Antakshari...Another terrorist, known as 'Doctor,' delivered speeches about converting to Islam."
The truth about the codenames used by the hijackers
Meanwhile, Pooja's husband Rakesh refused to watch the show. He told India Today, "I did not want to relive the ordeal again." He added, "I have heard about the controversies, but what Netflix has shown is the truth." "Those weren't their actual names, just aliases. Netflix did not make up the names. The five hijackers were Muslim, but the two had Hindu codenames." Notably, this claim is also corroborated in a 2000 statement by the MEA.
Netflix responded to controversy surrounding hijack series
In response to the controversy, Netflix India issued an official statement on Wednesday. The content head for India mentioned that the disclaimer has been updated to include "both real and code names" of the hijackers. Pooja expressed confusion over the backlash, stating, "The series was made for entertainment purposes, I don't know why people are getting offended." She also suggested that a commando attack could have potentially prevented the aircraft from leaving Indian airspace.
Netflix series features ensemble cast, based on real events
Further, reliving the incident 25 years later, Pooja said, "The term 'hijack' wasn't very popular back in 1999. We thought they would ask for some ransom and get it over with. Little did we know that the ordeal would last seven days." "The hijackers also thought that it would end in two days because they asked the stewardess if there was enough water to last for two days," she added.
Hijackers's demanded and flight path detailed in series
The hijackers demanded the release of three jailed terrorists—Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar—in exchange for approximately 150 hostages. They directed Captain Devi Sharan to fly the aircraft to various locations, including Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai. Ultimately, they forced the plane to land in Kandahar, Afghanistan which was under Taliban control at that time. The show, directed by Anubhav Sinha, is based on these events as detailed in Sharan's book Flight into Fear: The Captain's Story.
