IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack by Anubhav Sinha is a miniseries that effectively hijacks your mind and breaks away from the stereotypical molds of a kidnapping thriller!
History is rarely as black and white as it seems when written on a blank canvas. It is often much more complicated and nuanced when experienced in the moment. Therefore, in this cluttered era where opinions are often expressed with force, it is essential to examine an event from multiple perspectives in order to form an informed opinion. This is exactly what IC 814: The Hijacking of Kandahar The series tells a significant historical event with gripping drama and avoids sensationalism or prejudice.
Created by Anubhav Sinha and co-written with Trishant SrivastavaIC 814 is based on the book Flight into Fear: The Captain’s Story and also extensive research. It concerns one of the most controversial decisions of the Indian government: the release of three dangerous terrorists in exchange for the lives of the passengers of flight IC 814, which was hijacked en route from Kathmandu to Delhi. The story of how the plane, under the control of five masked hijackers, underwent a tense journey from Amritsar, Lahore and Dubai before finally landing in Kandahar (Taliban Afghanistan), where it remained for seven days while negotiations took place, has been told too many times.
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At first glance, this series may seem like another kidnapping thriller in which Vijay Varma plays the hero who saves the day. But don’t forget that it’s a show by Anubhav Sinha, who has recently made waves with his films such as Mulk, Thappad, And Article 15, has proven that he a talent for addressing socio-political issues in the context of an exciting drama that makes you think. That unique filmmaking style is on display here too, where it’s emphasized that this national crisis was a war of intelligence, diplomacy and quick thinking rather than a larger-than-life patriotic triumph. As such, there’s no hero who saves the day, there’s no terrorist who turns villain and tortures; it’s just people navigating a complex, frightening situation together. It’s almost the first time that a kidnapping scenario feels realistically terrifying while also being compassionate toward everyone involved.
What’s even more notable is that this unbiased approach doesn’t make the six episodes boring at all. In fact, the show is beautifully crafted and to the point. The lines between fact and fiction seem to blend seamlessly as the archive footage with voiceover provides a realistic context that effortlessly segues into the thrilling fictional retelling that works on multiple levels. On one hand, we get to see what’s going on inside the plane, where the captain and his crew handle the tense situation with the hijackers, on the other hand, we get to see what’s going on outside as the very Avengers-like crisis management group, consisting of IB, RAW and the Ministry, try to resolve the problem diplomatically while dealing with the press, which ironically acts as the voice of reason and people’s fear.
The camera and editing navigate us beautifully through the tight settings of this show, resulting in a holistic view of the incident that allows for logical thought and lets us experience the silence in the chaos. That’s not to say the show has nothing to say; it’s full of commentary in dialogue and non-cartoonish characterization, enhanced by the eclectic chemistry of the ensemble, which includes Nasseruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Arwind Swamy, Divyendu Bhattacharya, Dia Mirza, Vijay Varma, Patralekaa, Amrita Puri, Aditya Srivastava, Kumud Mishra and much more.
I understand that in today’s climate, it is a daunting challenge for filmmakers to create politically charged content, especially about a controversial government decision with lasting implications. Anubahv Sinha’s IC 814: The Hijacking of Kandahar succeeds in retelling the story without resorting to overdramatization or biased narrative structures and characters. He’s simply concerned with presenting the facts to us so that we can understand them the way we want to. And personally, I love that he doesn’t seek to take sides in the story. Because in today’s polarized age, where everyone has a platform to voice their opinion, one-sided cinema is more harmful than productive, which is why this informed and balanced approach is both refreshing and essential.
IC 814: The Hijacking of Kandahar is currently streaming on That’s how Netflix works!
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