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Director Anubhav Sinha’s new Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has renewed interest in the infamous incident, while introducing a new generation to a story that gripped the nation for a week at the end of 1999. The show dramatises not only the events inside the hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft, but also the political maneuvering that took place in the corridors of power in New Delhi. Amid controversy around the show’s portrayal of the terrorists responsible for the hijack, first-hand accounts of passengers and the crew have also resurfaced.
While a portion of the show is based on the book written by Captain Devi Sharan, the flight engineer Anil K Jaggia wrote a book of his own, with assistance from former Indian Express investigative reporter Saurabh Shukla. The book was titled IC 814 Hijacked: The Inside Story, and revealed several details about the week-long siege from the perspective of a person who was often in direct contact with the hijackers.
Many have spoken about the odd bond that the passengers began to develop with the hijackers a few days into the ordeal; Devi Sharan recalled telling jokes to the hijacker code-named Burger, and recalled that some passengers were even singing songs at one point. In his book, flight engineer Jaggia wrote about the words that he exchanged with Burger after negotiations with the Indian government had ended, and revealed that he even presented the terrorist with a ‘gift’ of sorts.
Also read – IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack: In the best Indian show of the year, Anubhav Sinha puts ‘babugiri’ on blast
Jaggia recalled, “As he walked down the aisle exchanging pleasantries with the passengers, he came up beside me in seat 25B. ‘I’m sorry for causing you any trauma,’ he said sincerely. ‘I hope you won’t cause so much trouble to so many people again.’ ‘That’s exactly what my father used to say,’ he said ruefully. ‘It’s all the more reason you shouldn’t do something like this again,’ I reiterated. And then added, ‘After you’ve finished everything, come back to me. I have a gift for you.”
Burger returned diligently at 3:30 in the afternoon, and said ‘respectfully’, “I’m ready to receive my gift.” Jaggia continued, “I don’t know what he was expecting, but he seemed bemused at the red Eveready torch I placed in his palm. ‘Why this torch?’ he asked, turning it around in his hand. ‘This light will guide you to the correct path,’ I said. Burger thanked me and carried it away with him, but returned soon after. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, ‘but the chief is not permitting us to take any gifts from the hostages.'”
On December 24, 1999, an Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu was hijacked by five terrorists, who diverted it first to Amritsar, then to Dubai, and finally to Kandahar. There, the flight remained stationary for several days, as the Indian authorities negotiated with the hijackers, who demanded $200 million in cash and the release of three dozen high-profile terrorists. In the end, the Indian government agreed to the release of three terrorists, and the hostages were freed. One passenger, Rupin Katyal, was murdered. Sinha’s show has caused controversy over its perceived concealment of the hijackers’ Muslim identities. On Tuesday, Netflix said that it would add a disclaimer mentioning their real names to the show.
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