Netflix India has unveiled the first trailer for the upcoming series “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack”.
The hijacking occurred in December 1999, when an Indian Airlines flight en route from Kathmandu to New Delhi was hijacked by militants. The flight made several landings, including in Amritsar (India), Lahore (Pakistan), Dubai and Kandahar (Afghanistan). The crisis lasted for seven days.
Based on the book “Flight into Fear” by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury, the drama examines the crisis from different angles and offers a multi-layered view of the incident. It shows the tense negotiations in the war room of Delhi, the risky diplomacy in Taliban-controlled Kandahar and the horrific ordeal that passengers and crew were subjected to on board the hijacked aircraft.
The series features an ensemble cast comprising Vijay Varma (“Dahaad”), Patralekhaa (“Aar Ya Paar”), veterans Pankaj Kapur (“Bheed”) and Naseeruddin Shah (“Minimum”), Arvind Swami (“Custody”) , Dia Mirza (“Bheed”), Amrita Puri (“Neeyat”), Anupam Tripathi (“Squid Game”), Kumud Mishra (“Tiger 3”), Manoj Pahwa (“Bawaal”), Kanwaljeet Singh (“Mrs”) , Dibyendu Bhattacharya (“Poacher”), Sushant Singh (“The Freelancer”), Aditya Srivastava (“Bhakshak”), Rajeev Thakur and Yashpal Sharma (“Chandu Champion”).
The series was developed by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava (Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga), and directed by Sinha. The story is by Adrian Levy and Trishant Srivastava. It is produced by Matchbox Shots and Benaras Mediaworks, and produced by Sarita Patil and Sanjay Routray.
Sinha’s films dealing with social and political issues include “Bheed” (2023), “Anek” (2022), “Article 15” (2019) and “Mulk” (2018). He returns to serial television after a 27-year hiatus after working on DD Metro’s “Sea Hawks”.
“Netflix and Matchbox Shots made me an offer I couldn’t refuse: to tell the story of ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,'” Sinha said. “Trishant, the writer, and I dove into the story because we thought most of the information was available online. Documentaries and vlogs were being made, articles were being written, so we wanted to go deeper into the story to get a juicier bite.”
“We met officials leading the rescue mission from Delhi and passengers and crew told us the story on the plane. Adrian Levy, a well-known journalist, author and filmmaker from London, came on board and a whole new international canvas unfolded before us,” Sinha added. “What happened in those seven days turned out to be a gripping story, piercing through chilling and thrilling tactical and diplomatic maneuvers that needed to be told. Viewers need to know this story, which has never been told before, inside and out, with a cast I don’t know if I can put together again.”
Sanjay Routray of Matchbox Shots, the production company behind recent Netflix hits in India such as Monica, O My Darling and Scoop, added: “Thanks to Anubhav Sinha’s masterful direction and Netflix’s global reach, we are confident the series will move viewers around the world to appreciate the bravery and resilience of Indians who showed tremendous courage during the hijacking in Kandahar.”
Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, said, “The series doesn’t just narrate the events; it immerses you in the emotional whirlwind of a nation gripped by fear, hope and despair. The powerful storytelling, combined with stunning visual effects and breathtaking performances from a stellar cast, makes this a must-watch.”
The series will be streamed from August 29th.
Watch the trailer here:
