‘Bhola, Shankar names used by terrorists on flight; Burger played Antakshari…,’ recalls IC 814 Kandahar hijack survivor

A survivor of the 1999 IC 814 hijacking recalls her harrowing experience as Netflix’s adaptation of the event ignites debate over its portrayal of the terrorists. Pooja Kataria shares insights about the hijackers, prompting discussions on historical accuracy and creative liberties in dramatizations.

Written By Gulam Jeelani
Updated4 Sep 2024, 09:45 PM IST
Watch: ‘Terrorists named, Burger, Bhola, Shankar,’ recalls IC 814 hijack survivor amid Netflix series row
Watch: ‘Terrorists named, Burger, Bhola, Shankar,’ recalls IC 814 hijack survivor amid Netflix series row(PTI)

A survivor of IC 814 hijack has recalled her ordeal on board the fateful journey from Kathmandu to New Delhi in 1999.

Pooja Kataria from Chandigarh, who was on the flight, said that the hijackers were named Burger, Bhola and Shankar. Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has used these code names of the hijackers in his Netflix series – ‘IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack,’ triggering a row with many, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders accusing Sinha of allegedly shifting the blame away from Pakistani terrorists involved in the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight.

"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, 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' and ‘Shankar,’ Kataria told news agency ANI.

Also Read | Netflix updates IC-814 web series to include ‘real, code names of hijackers’

The controversy prompted Netflix India to issue an official statement on September 3 addressing the controversy surrounding series. The OTT platform's content head for India said that the disclaimer of the web series has been updated to ‘include the real and code names of the hijackers.’

"The series was made for entertainment purposes, I don't know why people are getting offended...Maybe the (Indian) govt could have tried a commando attack on the aircraft in Amritsar, then then it could not have flown outside India," Kataria said.

The hijackers who eventually demanded the release of three jailed terrorists –Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar– in exchange for about 150 hostages, had directed Captain Sharan to fly the aircraft to a series of locations, including Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai. Ultimately, they forced Captain Sharan to land the plane in Kandahar, Afghanistan which was then under Taliban control.

Also Read | IC814: Did Netflix series makers ‘hide’ terrorist identity? Govt document says..

The Netflix series adapted from the book ‘Flight into Fear: A Captain’s Story' by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury features features Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Dia Mirza, Arvind Swamy and Dia Mirza.

Key Takeaways
  • The adaptation of real events can evoke strong emotional responses and controversies.
  • Historical accuracy versus creative storytelling remains a contentious issue in media.
  • Survivor testimonies provide crucial insights that can influence public perception of historical events.

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First Published:4 Sep 2024, 09:45 PM IST
Business NewsNews‘Bhola, Shankar names used by terrorists on flight; Burger played Antakshari…,’ recalls IC 814 Kandahar hijack survivor

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