PIL to Ban Netflix's 'IC 814' Withdrawn After Netflix Disclaimer

The PIL requesting a ban on Netflix's series "IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack" has been withdrawn from the Delhi High Court. The petitioner’s counsel designated Netflix's inclusion of a denial, which elucidates the real names of the terrorists involved in the case and addresses the concerns embossed in the PIL.

Recently, Surjit Singh Yadav, Chief of Hindu Sena, filed a PIL looking for a ban on Netflix's series "IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack," claiming it twisted the specifications of the terrorists involved in the hijacking.

Petitioner Advocate Shashi Ranjan challenged the television miniseries "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack," directed by Anubhav Sinha, arguing that it inaccurately portrays the 1999 hijacking of Indian Flight 814.

The petition argued that the miniseries incorrectly attributes Hindu names like "Bhola" and "Shankar"—associated with Lord Shiva—to the actual hijackers Ibrahim Akhtar, Shahid Akhtar Sayeed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Mistry, and Shakir.

According to the petitioner, this contortion of the hijackers' identities misrepresents historical events, sustainability of harmful stereotypes, and offends Hindu sentiments. The petitioner seeks the court’s involvement to prevent further public misunderstanding and purposeful harm.

The plea also spotlighted that India’s Constitution, which upholds secularism and religious harmony in a multi-religious society, expresses mutual respect for all religions as a fundamental right.

The plea contends that film producers, directors, and actors have constitutional commitments to avoid offending religious sentiments. As a result, the Cinematograph Act of 1952 was enacted by Parliament to regulate feature films and make sure they comply with these qualities. The petition seeks the court's involvement to address these issues concerning the miniseries "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack."

Additionally, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has reportedly assembled Netflix's content head in response to social media claims that the creators of "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack" intentionally changed the hijackers' names to "Bhola" and "Shankar."

Reports indicate that Netflix India's officials recently met with the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to discuss concerns regarding the series "IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack." Following the meeting, Netflix has agreed to review the series and update the disclaimer to reflect the real names of the hijackers. The company also assured that future content on their platform will be more considerate of national sentiments.