IC 814 Survivors Claim Netflix Series Reveals ‘Truth,’ But With A Catch

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan will brief the military chiefs and top commanders on upcoming changes to military structures, including the introduction of theatre commands, at the Lucknow conference.

Gen Chauhan will present the blueprint for the three theatre commands at the inaugural Joint Combined Commanders Conference today, with final approval pending from the Modi government.

Amid the controversy surrounding Netflix’s series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ and its depiction of terrorists’ codenames, two survivors have spoken out. Rakesh and Pooja Kataria, who were newlyweds returning from Nepal, shared their views.

Rakesh Kataria told India Today TV he chose not to watch the series to avoid reliving the traumatic experience. Rakesh Kataria acknowledged the controversy surrounding Netflix’s portrayal, stating, “What Netflix has shown is the truth.”

He explained that the codenames “Bhola and Shankar” used for two of the five hijackers were aliases, not their real names. He emphasized that Netflix’s depiction is accurate, as the hijackers were Muslim but had Hindu codenames. Pooja Kataria agreed, affirming that these names reflect the reality of the situation.

Pooja Kataria confirmed that the codenames “Burger, Doctor, Bhola, Shankar, and Chief” used for the hijackers were accurate, reflecting their experiences. She mentioned that watching the Netflix series was like reliving the trauma from 25 years ago.

Pooja noted that the show focused more on the political aspects and negotiations than the internal experiences of the hostages. She also recalled that 26 couples, including Rachna and Rupin Katyal—who were killed by the hijackers—were returning from their honeymoon in Nepal.

Pooja Kataria noted that the depiction of the terrorists announcing the hijacking and instructing passengers to keep their heads down was accurate. At the time, they didn’t fully grasp the severity of the situation, thinking it would be resolved quickly with a ransom. She recalled that the ordeal, which lasted seven days, was far longer than the hijackers anticipated.

Pooja also mentioned that one of the hijackers, known as Doctor, had delivered a speech urging passengers to convert to Islam. Pooja Kataria revealed that the hijacker known as Doctor delivered multiple speeches, claiming Islam was superior to Hinduism and convincing some passengers.

On December 30, 1999, the hijackers threatened to start killing passengers, expressing frustration over the perceived lack of action from the Indian government regarding their release.