Netflix to Add Disclaimers to Indian Hijack Drama After Outrage Over Hindu Names

MUMBAI (Reuters) – Netflix announced on Tuesday that it will add new disclaimers to an Indian series about a plane hijack following social media outrage and government discontent over the portrayal of Muslim hijackers as Hindus.

The series, titled “IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack,” is a dramatized account of the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814 from Kathmandu. Released on Netflix last week, the show immediately faced criticism from social media users who argued that the hijackers were wrongly depicted with Hindu names, despite being Muslims.

Media reports indicated that Netflix officials were summoned to India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday. Shortly afterward, Netflix announced it would update the disclaimer. The government has not yet commented on the matter.

“For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers,” said Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, at Netflix India, in a statement.

Over the weekend, the hashtag #BoycottNetflix trended on X, with numerous users and members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemning the series. They alleged that the show portrayed the hijackers in a favorable light and misled viewers into thinking they were Hindu.

Amit Malviya, head of BJP’s social media unit, stated that the series “legitimized the criminal intent” of the hijackers and mislead people into believing that Hindus were responsible for the hijacking.

India holds Pakistan and Pakistan-based militant groups accountable for the December 1999 hijacking. The crisis was resolved after New Delhi agreed to release three Islamist militants, including Masood Azhar, the leader of one such group.

The series, which comes nearly 25 years after the incident, stars Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, and Pankaj Kapur, among others. It is based on the book “Flight into Fear,” written by the flight’s captain Devi Sharan and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury.

Netflix, along with other streaming services like Amazon’s Prime Video, has faced similar complaints in the past, particularly from Hindu groups who argue that their content offends the sentiments of the country’s majority religious population.

Source: Reuters