ENTERTAINMENT

PIL in Delhi HC seeking ban on 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack'

Tuesday, 03 Sep, 2024
The series was released on August 29. (Photo courtesy: Netflix India)

The series, directed by Anubhav Sinha, dramatizes the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 by terror outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court, seeking a ban on the Netflix series 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' for allegedly distorting facts about the real identities of the hijackers. The plea claims that the miniseries incorrectly portrays the hijackers with Hindu names such as Bhola and Shankar, thereby hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community.

The petition, filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, a farmer and president of the Hindu Sena, requests the Delhi High Court to direct the Centre and Maharashtra government to revoke the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certificate and ban public viewing of the OTT series.

“The distortion of crucial facts about the real identities of the hijackers not only misrepresents historical events but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and misinformation, warranting interference of this court to prevent further public misunderstanding and potential harm,” the petition states.

Netflix India content chief Monika Shergill has been summoned amid a row over the depiction of hijackers in the streaming platform's series 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack'. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed Shergill to appear before it to explain the allegedly contentious aspects of the web series, top government sources said.

The series, which dramatizes the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 by Pakistan-based terror outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, sparked controversy on social media after two hijackers were only referred to by their Hindu code names in the series.