Netflix IC814 web series

Netflix Content Head summoned by I&B Ministry over the 'IC814' web series content row.

Muslim terrorists involved in hijacking were given Hindu names like Bhola, Shankar in this series.

The hijacking was carried out by Ibrahim Athar, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Ibrahim, Shahid Akhter, and Sayed Shakir.

Real story

On 24-December-1999, at 4:25 pm, Indian Airlines flight IC-184 took off from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, to Delhi carrying a total of 193 passengers, including 178 passengers, 2 pilots, and 13 Indian Airlines staff.

At exactly 5:05 pm, while the plane was flying over Lucknow, five people suddenly got up from their seats at the same time.

Two of them went near the cockpit. The other three went to the front, middle, and rear of the plane.

People who see weapons like guns, bombs and knives in their hands realize that the five of them are terrorists who have infiltrated the plane in the form of passengers.

The two who entered the cockpit introduce themselves as members of the Pakistani terrorist organization Harkat-ul-Mujahideen in Kashmir. They then order the plane to land at Lahore airport in Pakistan and take control of the plane.

The passengers start to panic. When they find out that they have been hijacked by armed terrorists in mid-air, the only god they believe in is the captain of the plane. That god did not abandon them.

The plane is denied permission to land at Lahore airport in Pakistan. The terrorists order the pilots to land at some other airport in Pakistan as the next option.

But the captain tactfully tells them that the plane has no fuel to travel until then and that the only nearby airport is Amritsar airport in India, and that if they want, they can land the plane there and refuel.

After much deliberation, the terrorists agree. The two gunned terrorists are standing behind the pilots, watching with stary eyes. If they get a little lost, it's a story of death.

The responsibility for all the lives on the plane is now in the hands of only one person. That is the captain of the plane. From now on, the passengers' fate depends on the wise decision he makes.

Whatever is done must be done immediately. At the same time, it must be done wisely. There should be no tension, but there is no time to think. Nothing can be discussed with anyone, not even the co-pilot who is sitting next to him.

It is in such an environment that the captain of the plane takes that brave next decision.

The terrorists inform the higher authorities in Delhi of their kidnapping through a code word within a blink of an eye.

A message is sent from Delhi to the pilot saying, "Do not leave Amritsar immediately, but delay it for some reason." At the same time, the hijackers present their complex demands to the authorities in Delhi.

The BJP government led by Vajpayee, who was in power at the time, is swaying by listening to those demands.

But there is no other way. The Indian government is the guarantor of all 193 lives, so while pretending to agree to talks with the terrorists, the government is preparing for a sting operation that will leave them indifferent.

On the one hand, National Security Forces soldiers are rushing towards Amritsar from Delhi while preparing for talks.

The captain is ordered to delay the flight for some reason until the National Security Forces arrive at the airport.

The pilot stops the flight for half an hour in Amritsar.

Since the delay exceeds half an hour, they suspect that some trap is being set for them and threaten the pilot to take off immediately.

However, the brave pilot bravely refuses. As a result, he is brutally attacked. However, he bravely resists, thinking that he will get help from the government somehow.

Seeing this, a terrorist, enraged, stabs a 25-year-old man with a knife and kills him.

Seeing this, the young man's wife screams, and the captain, having no other choice, starts the engine again. The plane takes off.

The plane, which left Amritsar, is allowed to land at Lahore airport on the condition that no one should get off the plane, and is refueled with Pakistani military security.

Pakistan refuses India's request not to allow the plane to leave Lahore. The Indian government panics.

The responsibility of making the next decisions for the plane flying nervously in mid-air is again in the hands of the captain.

The hijackers' next target is Dubai.

So the plane starts flying from Lahore to Dubai.

But here is the next twist.

The plane is also denied permission to land in Dubai

The captain starts circling the plane in the sky.

At this time, the US steps in to hear the matter.

India and the US say that permission should be granted keeping in mind the situation of the passengers who are fighting for their lives.

Although the Dubai government finally grants permission on humanitarian grounds, it categorically refuses India's request that the Indian security forces be allowed to counter the terrorists.

The captain argues with the terrorists that the passengers need food as the food and water on the plane will run out at 12 midnight. He calculates that some passengers can be released through this.

After a long struggle, the terrorists agree with the captain and ask Dubai for supplies.

But Dubai officials say that food and water will be provided only if the women and children are released. With no other option, 25 passengers, including women and children, are released.

The captain's calculation works perfectly.

After receiving food and water, the plane leaves Dubai and flies to Kandahar, which is under Taliban control in Afghanistan.

The plane reaches Kandahar at 8:30 am on December 25, 1999. The Indian delegation arrives in Kandahar on December 27.

At the same time, the Taliban are positioning artillery and rocket launchers around the plane, saying that they will not allow the Indian security forces to enter Afghanistan. The captain reassures the nervous passengers by speaking to them in person. “Trust me. I am responsible for your lives. Be calm,” he reassures them. His courageous speech comforts all the passengers.

During the 4-day talks, the Indian government refuses to accept their demands, saying that if they accept the terrorists’ demands, India’s sovereignty will be tarnished and that they cannot do whatever they want.

At the same time, the situation of those on board the plane is getting worse day by day, and the international pressure of “give in to their demands and somehow save the passengers” is starting to squeeze the Indian government.

Finally, the Indian government, which had no other choice but to loosen its grip on its grip, agrees to their demands, and the negotiations that were dragging on like a candy bar finally come to an end on 31-December-1999.

India hands over 3 important Pakistani terrorists, Mushtaq Ahmed Sarkar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Maulana Masood Azhar, and rescues the passengers and staff.

After 8 long days of struggle, the passengers and Indian Airlines staff return to their homeland.

Each passenger who gets off the plane shakes the captain’s hand and bows before getting off.

After ensuring that everyone has disembarked safely, the pilot finally leaves the plane in a frenzy.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, this sensational incident was also released as a web series on Netflix in August last year.

At a time when the IC-814 hijacking incident shook India, Captain Sharan Dev stood up as an individual and protected his passengers despite the fear of death. The bravery he showed, the diplomatic approach, the efforts he took to ensure the safety of the passengers are all quality incidents that should be celebrated like a commercial cinema hero, leaving the mass BGM behind.

In the photo, Cpt. Sharan Dev (left) and Vijay Varma (right), who plays Captain Sharan Dev in the Netflix series.