IC 814 Kandahar Hijack Controversy: Pooja Kataria has stepped forward to provide her perspective amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Netflix’s series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Pooja Kataria is a survivor of the horrific hijacking incident. Her remarks raise important questions about the motivations behind the public’s indignation over the series and provide fresh insight into what actually happened on that tragic flight.
Kandahar Hijack Survivor ‘Pooja Kataria’ Reveals The Truth
Pooja Kataria, a passenger on the December 1999 hijacked Indian Airlines Flight IC 814, recently talked to ANI about the horrific experience. She stated, “There were 5 terrorists on board the aircraft. Half an hour after the flight took off the terrorists declared that the flight was hijacked. We were nervous. We were asked to keep our heads down. We didn’t even know we were in Kandahar. People were having panic attacks.”
Interestingly, Kataria noted that one of the terrorists, known by the codename ‘Burger,’ adopted a more “friendly” approach with the passengers. She said, “People were having panic attacks, so one of the terrorists named ‘Burger’, who had a friendly approach, helped people, and made them play ‘Antakshari’. Terrorist ‘Doctor’ gave a lot of speeches on converting to Islam. There other terrorists were named ‘Bhola’ & ‘Shankar’.”
Netflix Series Portrays Real Events, Says Kandahar Hijack Survivor
Pooja Kataria questioned the controversy surrounding the portrayal of terrorists in the Netflix series, which has been criticised for allegedly misrepresenting facts and offending religious sentiments. “The series was made for entertainment purposes, I don’t know why people are getting offended, Maybe the govt could have tried a commando attack on the aircraft in Amritsar, then it could not have flown outside India ..,” she said.
Director Anubhav Sinha Responds to IC 814 Kandahar Hijack Controversy
The matter was recently addressed by Anubhav Sinha, the director of IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, in a press conference, further intensifying the argument. In response to a reporter’s question concerning why the terrorists’ names were altered in the series, Sinha asked sharply if the reporter had seen the series. When the reporter revealed he hadn’t, Sinha said, “I won’t be able to talk to you on this if you haven’t seen the series.”
What Sparked the Outrage?
Viewers accused IC 814 of whitewashing terrorism by adopting names connected to Hindu culture, including “Shankar” and “Bhola.” This sparked the debate around the show. Hashtags like #BoycottNetflix began to emerge on social media as the outcry grew. In response to the public outcry, the Government of India summoned Netflix’s Content Head, Monika Shergill, for a meeting with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B). Following talks with officials, Netflix updated the opening disclaimer for the series to disclose the terrorists’ real names and code names.
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