Indian filmmaker Anubhav Sinha is making his tv comeback, directing Netflix’s “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,” a sequence that brings to life the actual, terrifying story of a hijacking that surpasses even the fictional tales in Apple TV+’s “Hijack.”
The sequence relies on the e book “Flight into Concern – A Captain’s Story” by Captain Devi Sharan, who piloted the ill-fated flight, and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury. The sequence chronicles the hijacking of Indian Airways Flight 814 (IC 814) on December 24, 1999.
Though the hijacking has been depicted in a number of Indian movies over time, that is the primary time the story has been tailored for tv. The sequence options an all-star forged together with Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Dimple Kapadia and Arvind Swami.
Based on PBS Frontline, the hijacking of IC 814 was half of a bigger plan by the pan-Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda, geared toward creating chaos surrounding the millennium celebrations in January 2000. The Netflix sequence will reveal the factual particulars and true story of the hijacking, which affected the lives of 180 passengers on board.
The dramatic journey of flight IC 814
On December 24, 1999, Flight IC 814 was en route from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Delhi, India, with 180 folks on board, together with crew and passengers.
One of many notable passengers was Roberto Giori, proprietor of the Lausanne-based firm De La Rue Giori, which, in response to Time, managed a big share of the world’s forex printing business.
Based on The Impartial, the airplane was hijacked by 5 masked males simply 40 minutes after taking off from Tribhuvan Worldwide Airport in Kathmandu.
Initially, the hijackers instructed Captain Devi Sharan to enter Pakistani airspace. Nevertheless, Pakistani air site visitors management refused permission to land in Lahore, citing the airplane’s low gasoline provide. Consequently, the airplane needed to make an emergency touchdown in Amritsar, Punjab, India, to refuel.
After touchdown in Amritsar, the airplane requested refueling. Though makes an attempt have been made to delay this to permit for potential intervention by the Indian Nationwide Safety Guards, the hijackers insisted on persevering with their journey. At round 19:50, the airplane took off once more, narrowly avoiding a collision with a gasoline tanker, Frontline journal reported.
Captain Sharan described the scenario as severe, with all 180 passengers vulnerable to loss of life. The airplane’s subsequent vacation spot was Lahore, the place Captain Sharan made an emergency touchdown regardless of efforts by Pakistani air site visitors management to stop it.
The hijackers’ calls for and negotiations
After refueling in Lahore, IC 814 headed for Kabul, Afghanistan. As a result of Kabul had no night time touchdown services, the flight tried to land in Oman earlier than lastly reaching Al Minhad Air Base in Dubai, UAE. On the air base, 27 passengers have been launched.
Amongst them was 25-year-old Rupin Katyal, who died from deadly stab wounds inflicted by the hijackers. The flight continued on to its remaining vacation spot, Kandahar, Afghanistan, the place it remained for six days in harsh circumstances, with passengers disadvantaged of standard meals and consuming water.
Negotiations for the discharge of the hostages started when the airplane landed in Kandahar. The hijackers, backed by the Taliban, initially demanded the discharge of 36 prisoners, the physique of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) founder Sajjad Afghani and $26 million.
These calls for have been later scaled again to the discharge of three prisoners: Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Masood Azhar and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar. Ahmed Omar Sheikh is thought for his function within the 2002 kidnapping and homicide of Wall Avenue Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Masood Azhar based the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has been linked to the 2008 Mumbai assaults and the 2016 Pathankot assault.
Earlier makes an attempt had been made to safe the discharge of those prisoners. For instance, Ahmed Omar Sheikh kidnapped 4 Western vacationers from Delhi in 1994. In 1995, he was concerned within the kidnapping of six Western vacationers and two guides, which led to the homicide of 5 vacationers, together with Norwegian actor Hans Christian Ostrø.
The decision and the aftermath
Finally, the Indian authorities agreed to launch the three prisoners in alternate for the secure return of the hostages. The Taliban performed a serious function in facilitating the secure passage of the hijackers and the three prisoners to Quetta, Pakistan.
After the hijacking, India sought to take management of safety at Kathmandu airport and was criticized for its dealing with of the scenario and diplomatic efforts. Based on The Guardian, one of many hijackers, Zahoor Mistry, was reportedly killed in Pakistan by Indian intelligence brokers.
Director Anubhav Sinha has said that “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” goals to recreate the occasions in an genuine method, as in the event that they have been taking place in actual time.
The sequence options scenes filmed in varied areas, together with Jordan, to seize the true essence of the hijacking. It exhibits the experiences of the passengers and crew, in addition to the efforts of the Indian authorities and different events concerned.
The sequence additionally explores the affect of the hijacking on diplomatic relations and safety coverage. By displaying the complicated interaction between the hijackers, the Indian authorities and the Taliban, it offers a radical and compelling account of a pivotal second in historical past.
This gripping rendition guarantees to be an exciting and eye-opening expertise for viewers. The sequence guarantees to supply a gripping and sensible rendition of the hijacking of IC 814.
By capturing the passengers’ terrifying experiences and intense negotiations, “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” presents viewers a compelling and riveting look into this momentous historic occasion.
Watch all episodes of “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” on Netflix within the US
