The Kandahar Hijack: A Series That Dares to Reveal the Hidden Truths
New Delhi: The hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in December 1999 stands as one of the most distressing events in Indian aviation history. What began as a routine flight from Kathmandu to Delhi quickly spiraled into a nightmare as five masked men took control of the aircraft, holding 180 passengers and crew hostage. Over the course of seven days, the hijackers moved the plane across multiple locations—Kathmandu, Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai, and finally, Kandahar—turning the situation into a geopolitical crisis.
The week-long ordeal, marked by intense negotiations and failed rescue attempts, has since been studied as a prime example of how not to handle a hijack. The lack of coordination among Indian agencies, coupled with the inability to make decisive decisions, led to a situation where the government seemed to be fumbling for a solution, hoping that external forces might intervene.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the series IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack is based on the book Flight Into Fear by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury. It vividly recreates the tension and fear experienced by the passengers, as well as the mounting frustration among the hijackers. The series not only portrays the sequence of events but also explores the psychological toll on everyone involved, from the hostages to the government officials. As tempers flared and the situation grew more desperate, one passenger lost their life, and another was severely injured, leaving a scar on the nation’s collective memory that lingers to this day.
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