Netflix India Head Monika Shergill Meets Government Over IC-814 Series Controversy
Monika Shergill, head of Netflix India, is meeting with the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting today at Shastri Bhawan. The meeting addresses issues with the web series ‘IC-814- The Kandahar Hijack,’ which has sparked controversy over its portrayal of the hijackers.
Government sources stated, “Nobody has the right to play with the sentiments of the people of this nation. India’s culture and civilization should always be respected.” Netflix has brought research documents and footage to support their stance that the series is based on publicly available resources.
The series has faced criticism on social media and a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, Chief of Hindu Sena, alleging that the series distorts the identities of the terrorists by giving them Hindu names. BJP leaders Amit Malviya and Rajeev Chandrasekhar also criticized the series for misrepresentation.
The six-episode series, created by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Shrivastava, stars Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Arvind Swamy, Patralekhaa, and Dia Mirza. It is based on the events of December 24, 1999, when an Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked after taking off from Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal.
Doubts Revealed
Netflix -: Netflix is a company that lets you watch movies and TV shows online. It’s like a big library of videos you can watch on your computer or TV.
Monika Shergill -: Monika Shergill is the person in charge of Netflix in India. She helps decide what shows and movies are available for people in India to watch.
IC-814 -: IC-814 was an airplane that got hijacked in 1999. Hijacking means bad people took control of the plane and made it go where they wanted.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting -: This is a part of the Indian government that makes rules about what can be shown on TV, radio, and in movies.
Public Interest Litigation -: This is when someone goes to court to complain about something that affects the public, not just one person. It’s like telling a teacher when something is wrong for everyone in the class.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It’s one of the main political parties in India, like a big group of people who work together to run the country.