By Rajveer Sekhawat 
Anubhav Sinha’s debut OTT series, “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,” brings to life the chilling 1999 hijacking that shook the entire nation. Featuring a stellar cast, including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, and Dia Mirza, the trailer has already set the stage for what’s to come. With just a few days left until its release, here’s a sneak peek into the plot and star cast.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Vijay Varma takes the lead role.
- Anubhav Sinha revisits the 1999 incident.
- The series tells the story of a plane hijacking.
In 1999, India witnessed a terrifying act of terrorism that still sends shivers down the spine. This event, one of the largest airplane hijackings in Indian history, is the basis for Anubhav Sinha’s series “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.”
What happened in 1999?
Before diving into the details of the series, let’s recount the real event of 1999. “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” narrates the story of an Indian Airlines plane that was hijacked after taking off from Nepal. The terrorists diverted the plane from Kathmandu to Amritsar and Lahore before finally landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The hijackers demanded the release of 35 terrorists in exchange for the 178 passengers on board. The hijacking, which began on December 24, lasted for a week and involved stops in five different countries. After being denied permission to land at Lahore airport, the plane was forced to land in Amritsar, where technical issues prevented refueling.
The hijackers killed a passenger named Rupin Katyal and redirected the plane back to Lahore for refueling. From there, the plane flew to Kabul and was then diverted to Dubai before eventually heading to Afghanistan. The terrorists insisted on the release of 35 militants, leading the then-Indian government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee to agree to release Maulana Masood Azhar, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, and Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh from prison. On December 31, the passengers were finally released and brought back to safety on a special plane.
Who’s playing who?
Anubhav Sinha’s “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” is based on this gripping incident. The web series features 113 characters, with Vijay Varma portraying Captain Sharan Dev. Patralekha plays the role of flight attendant Indrani, while Dia Mirza takes on the character of Shalini Chandra, the editor of Headlines India. Arvind Swamy stars as D.R. Shivramakrishnan, the Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Other Cast Members Include:
Naseeruddin Shah, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Pooja Gor, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Anupam Tripathi, Kanwaljit Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Sushant Singh, and Yashpal Sharma, among others. Manoj Pahwa plays Mukul Mohan, Additional Director of IB, Naseeruddin Shah portrays Vinay Kaul, Cabinet Secretary and Head of CMG, and Pankaj Kapur is seen as Foreign Minister Vijay Bhan Singh.
When and where to watch the series?
“IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” will be available on Netflix starting August 29. The series captures those 8 days that felt like a nightmare for the entire nation.
SHIVAM SHARMA