|
The
series, called "IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack," a fictionalized
version of the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814 from
Kathmandu, was released on Netflix last week. It was immediately
criticized for what social media users said was a wrong
portrayal of the hijackers as Hindus with Hindu names when they
were Muslims.
Netflix officials were summoned to India's information and
broadcasting ministry on Tuesday, local media reported, and the
streaming platform said soon after that it will update the
disclaimer. There was no comment from the government.
"For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking
of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been
updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers,"
Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, at Netflix India, said
in a statement.
#BoycottNetflix was trending on X over the weekend, and several
users as well as members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu
nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the series,
saying it showed the hijackers in a positive light and misled
audiences into thinking they were Hindu.
Amit Malviya, who heads BJP's social media unit, said the series
"legitimized the criminal intent" of the hijackers and misled
people into thinking that Hindus hijacked the plane.
India blames Pakistan and Pakistan-based militant groups for the
December 1999 hijack, which was resolved after New Delhi freed
three Islamist militants, including Masood Azhar, the head of
one such group.
The series, which comes nearly 25 years after the incident, has
actors Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma and Pankaj Kapur, among
others, and is based on the book "Flight into Fear", written by
the captain of the flight Devi Sharan and journalist Srinjoy
Chowdhury.
Netflix, as well as other streamers such as Amazon's Prime
Video, have been at the receiving end of complaints over their
content in the past, especially from Hindu groups, who say their
content hurts the sentiments of the country's majority religious
population.
(Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by YP Rajesh and
Angus MacSwan)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
