IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Row: Patralekhaa says Anubhav Sinha directorial is not a ‘documentary’ amid allegations of whitewashing terrorism
Patralekhaa is currently enjoying the success of her recently released web show IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. While there are appreciations surrounding the cast’s performance, this Netflix project has also found itself embroiled in a controversy involving the Government of India. Now while speaking to HT City, Patralekhaa has kept the record straight that the show is not a ‘documentary’.
The actress plays a cabin crew in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and last week, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting summoned Netflix’s content head amid allegations of distorting facts, whitewashing terrorism, and offending public sentiment. “This is not a documentary, clearly. It’s a show that has been written and, obviously, some parts have been imagined,” said Patralekhaa.
The 34-year-old said that several characters in the show didn’t use the real names of ones from the actual incident and called the attempt an earnest attempt at respecting the source material and yet bringing a fresh interpretation to it. “It’s a collaborative effort to bring authenticity and personal touch to the role,” she said.
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Directed by Anubhav Sinha, this thrilling series is based on the December 24, 1999, hijack of Indian Airlines IC-814 aircraft by five terrorists – Ibrahim Athar, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Ibrahim, Shahid Akhter, and Sayed Shakir. The aircraft was hijacked with at least 154 passengers and crew onboard just 40 minutes after it took off from Kathmandu for Delhi.
Recalling this saddening incident, Patralekhaa shared that these memories became fresh when the show was first offered to her. “More than feeling (pressure), I was looking forward to it. I remember the hijacking incident from my childhood and the dramatic images from the news, of men with big guns. That was my first memory of Kandahar,” Patralekhaa recalled adding that the show would remain a ‘sweet part’ of her career trajectory.
Revisiting the shooting experience, the actress revealed that it took her some time to adapt to the set as she felt ‘very claustrophobic’. “We were inside a plane set with a large team — technicians, junior actors, actors’ staff. The physical space and the situation naturally brought me to the emotional state needed,” Patralekhaa opined.
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