Will Be Sensitive To National Sentiments: Netflix India On ‘IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack’ Row

In response to mounting controversy over Netflix’s series ‘IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack,’ the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) met with Netflix representatives on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Netflix assured the government that future content will be reviewed to better align with national sentiments and address concerns related to age-appropriateness and national security.

“Netflix has assured that it will review its content and ensure that all future material on its platform is sensitive to national sentiments and appropriate for children,” government sources said.

The series, which dramatizes the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight, has faced criticism for allegedly misrepresenting the hijackers by using inaccurate names. Critics argue that this could distort historical facts and offend religious sentiments.

The I&B Ministry had previously summoned Netflix’s content head, Monika Shergill, to discuss these issues. The Ministry emphasized that no one has the right to misrepresent the country’s historical events and sentiments.

Government sources reiterated the importance of respecting India’s culture and history, warning that the portrayal of the hijacking incident, which involved the Pakistan-based terror group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, should be handled with care.

“Nobody has the right to play with the sentiments of the people of this nation. The government is taking this very seriously,” sources told news agency ANI.

The series, directed by Anubhav Sinha and released on August 29, has been criticized for its depiction of the hijacking, with claims that the series attempts to replace factual events with fictionalized narratives, potentially downplaying the role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the incident.

ALSO READ:: Government Summons Netflix India Content Head Over Controversy Surrounding ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’