Netflix bows to Modi government’s demands

Netflix, an international streaming media service, has bowed to the Indian government and announced a withdrawal notice from the controversial web series.

There is a controversy in India over using the names of Bhola and Shankar for the hijackers in the web series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, which was released last week on the platform.

The Indian government reached out to Netflix, calling out to change their names in the show.

In compliance, Netflix India’s head of content, Monica Shergill, responded, “For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking, the opening disclaimer has been updated… code names in the series now reflect those used during the event.”

In December 1999, an Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Delhi was hijacked and taken to Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai and Kandahar. Maulana Masood Azhar, Ahmed Umar Saeed and Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar were released.

According to passengers on the plane and journalists who reported the incident, the hijackers used to call each other Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola and Shankar while talking to each other.

However, in a statement issued by the Indian government on January 6, 2000, the hijackers were identified as Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim and Shakir.

The drama is made by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Shrivastava, starring actors Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Arvind Swamy, Patralekhaa and Dia Mirza.