With two armed terrorists standing behind him in the cockpit and more scattered throughout the plane, what can a pilot do to protect the lives of 171 passengers? “The pilot’s manual says to follow the instructions of the hijackers and save lives,” a character remarked. But will this strategy succeed? Prepare to witness the unveiling of the harrowing true story of Indian Airlines Flight 814 (IC 814), which was hijacked by five terrorists on December 24, 1999, just 40 minutes after taking off from Kathmandu, Nepal.
‘Netflix’ released the official trailer for its highly anticipated limited series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’, promising a gripping portrayal of the longest hijacking in India’s history, which spanned seven tense days.
At the time of the hijacking, around 190 people were on board, including passengers, crew members and militants. The 176-second trailer offered glimpses of the series, showing the dramatic events inside the aircraft and the efforts unfolding outside to save everyone. The show stars Vijay Varma as the pilot, alongside Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Arvind Swamy, Dia Mirza and others. It is created by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava, with Sinha at the helm.
“What’s more important? History that’s read years from now? Or our people trapped on IC 814?” Swamy asked, setting the tone for a mission determined to save everyone. However, the task is complicated as the militants continuously demand the plane be flown to various locations. According to reports, the aircraft, which remained hostage for seven days, flew from Kathmandu to Amritsar, then to Lahore, where it was refuelled, then to Dubai and finally to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The fate of everyone on board rests in the hands of the pilot and those making extraordinary efforts on the ground. Varma’s wife could be seen confidently telling the media, “My husband will come back, but only after he brings everyone home safely,” instilling confidence in the viewers.