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Captain Devi Sharan on learnings from the IC 814 hijack: ‘I try to live life to the fullest…’

In an interaction for Netflix, Captain Devi Sharan and actor Vijay Varma, who played the former's role in the streamer's latest series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, discussed learnings, takeaways, and vulnerabilities.

Captain Devi Sharan and Vijay Varma in a conversation about IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.

The conversations surrounding Netflix’s latest Hindi series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, might have been hijacked by various sections of the audience, resulting in the focus shifting from the narrative to the peripheral embellishments. The series is a triumphant tale of the resilience of the crew and passengers of aircraft IC: 814. The hostages of IC: 814 were exchanged following the release of three high-profile terrorists, including Masood Azhar, after a week-long negotiation period.

The Anubhav Sinha-directed series is based on the book, Flight Into Fear, by Captain Devi Sharan and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury. Actor Vijay Varma played the role of Sharan in the Netflix adaptation. The streaming giant recently facilitated an interaction between Varma and Sharan. In the interaction, the duo asked questions to each other, and at one poignant moment, Varma asked Sharan about the first time he sat in a cockpit after the harrowing incident. “I was back in after four days,” said Sharan as Varma looked at him with a sense of incredulity.

ALSO READ | IC 814: Former RAW chief AS Dulat, special secretary Anand Arni refute claims made in Netflix show, say, ‘Didn’t get any warning before hijack’

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“One of my very good friends suggested that I fly my next flight before the incident settled in my mind as a trauma or a phobia. He advised that I start flying as soon as possible if I want to continue in this line of work,” said Sharan, who also opened up about the various consequences in his life following the hijack incident. “I was a totally changed person. I started appreciating even the smallest things in my life.”

Reflecting on his approach to life before the incident, he said, “I used to ignore the small things before, but I stopped taking things for granted after that. I used to not acknowledge a lot of things back then, but I realised that life was very very unpredictable. Those 7-8 days were a learning experience, for sure. After that, I started travelling a lot with my wife and family. I mean, I try to live life to the fullest.”

ALSO READ: ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’: Why Bollywood gets intelligence and security work so wrong

The star-studded cast of IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack include the likes of Arvind Swamy, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Dia Mirza, Aditya Srivastava and Kumud Mishra. Although the series received rave reviews upon release, there have been many voices pointing out that the rather fictionalised narrative has employed too much creative liberty to tell a true story.

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