Anubhav Sinha’s new web series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Story, which premiered on Netflix on August 29, has ignited controversy for allegedly altering the names of two hijackers to Hindu names—Bhola and Shankar.

The series recounts the infamous hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in December 1999, which was en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The flight was forced to land at several locations before ultimately reaching Kandahar, Afghanistan, under Taliban control.

Viewers have taken to social media to express their outrage over the use of the names Bhola and Shankar, claiming that Sinha intentionally chose Hindu names for the hijackers instead of their actual names. The series features other characters referred to as chief, doctor, and burger, but the choice of names for Bhola and Shankar has drawn particular scrutiny.

The controversy highlights ongoing discussions about representation and accuracy in dramatizations of real-life events, with some accusing the filmmaker of misrepresenting facts and potentially inciting religious tensions.

According to a statement from the Union Home Ministry on January 6, 2000, the actual names of the hijackers were Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir. However, during the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the hijackers referred to each other by codenames—Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar.

Critics have argued that Bhola and Shankar were arbitrarily chosen Hindu names, but it has been clarified that these were indeed the codenames used by two of the hijackers. This revelation suggests that the series did not fabricate these names but instead aimed to reflect the reality of the hijacking situation.