After a 27-year long wait, famed Indian filmmaker Anubhav Sinha is returning to the small screen, this time via Netflix, with his latest show titled “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack”. This six-part thriller series marks Sinha’s first venture into long-form television ever since his early dabbling in TV which included shows like “Sea Hawks” that aired on DD Metro.
This gripping drama is an adaptation of the book “Flight Into Fear” penned by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury. The narrative probes into the multifarious dimensions of a crisis, where it provides an examination of the intense negotiations that transpired in Delhi’s War Room, the precarious diplomacy in Taliban-ruled Kandahar, and the life-threatening ordeal endured by the passengers and crew on board the hijacked aircraft.
Sinha, renowned for his conscientious body of work like “Article 15” and “Thappad”, wasn’t initially keen on the idea of a series, with his focus being solely on film-making. However, his interaction with Netflix India content head Monika Shergill and an in-depth dive into the project’s research gradually leaned him towards reciprocating their interests.
The series, helmed by Sinha and Trishant Srivastava of “Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga”, is produced under the banners of Matchbox Shots and Benaras Mediaworks, with Sarita Patil and Sanjay Routray donning the producer hats.
Sinha, on his initial involvement with the project, assumed he was well-versed with the material. However, the extensive research conducted by Adrian Levy unveiled new aspects including the global implications of the incident made Sinha realize he had a lot to learn. This newfound understanding acted as his incentive to dig deeper into the subject matter.
The series features an ensemble cast which includes actors like Vijay Varma, Kanwaljeet Singh, and Arvind Swami, with the casting credit going to Mukesh Chhabra.
While “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” narrates a self-contained story, Sinha is not closed off to the idea of collaborating on future streaming projects with Netflix. However, his immediate plans are to return to making feature films. He also expressed his interest in working on larger films while still keeping his socially conscious voice intact.
As the release date of “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” on Netflix approaches, Sinha maintains that his storytelling approach didn’t sway towards adapting to an international audience. According to Sinha, the more authentic and local the story is, the more appealing it becomes to a global audience, giving them a chance to savor an unprecedented cultural experience.
FAQs:
Q1: Who is Anubhav Sinha?
Anubhav Sinha is a renowned Indian filmmaker known for his socially conscious body of work like “Article 15” and “Thappad”.
Q2: What is “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack”?
It’s a gripping drama series adapted from the book “Flight Into Fear”, exploring the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight. The narrative probes into the multifarious dimensions of the crisis, providing an examination of the intense negotiations that transpired in Delhi’s War Room, the precarious diplomacy in Taliban-ruled Kandahar, and the life-threatening ordeal endured by the passengers and crew on board the hijacked aircraft.
Q3: What is Anubhav Sinha’s future project after “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack”?
Sinha’s immediate focus is returning to feature films, particularly larger ones that lean more heavily on the box office while still keeping his socially conscious voice intact.
Credit: variety.com
