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Tag: IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

  • OTTplay Awards 2025 takes centre stage with a star-studded celebration

    OTTplay Awards 2025 takes centre stage with a star-studded celebration

    MUMBAI: Mumbai’s entertainment scene sparkled brighter as the OTTplay Awards 2025 rolled out the red carpet at JW Marriott on 22 March, bringing together the finest in digital storytelling under its ‘One Nation, One OTT Award’ banner. The third edition of the only pan-India OTT awards was a grand spectacle, uniting stars and creators from across languages and regions to honour the best in streaming content.

    The night was a triumph of storytelling, with major accolades going to Panchayat, Paatal Lok, Girls Will Be Girls, Poacher, Freedom at Midnight, Black Warrant, and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.

    The acting honours saw Manoj Bajpayee (Despatch) and Anupam Kher (Vijay 69) take home Best Actor (Popular and Critics, respectively), while Kajol (Do Patti) and Parvathy Thiruvothu (Manorathangal) claimed Best Actress titles.

    The web series category delivered emotional highs, with Jyotika (Dabba Cartel) winning Best Supporting Actor (Female) and presenting the Critics’ Best Actress award to Nimisha Sajayan (Poacher) in an on-stage moment that radiated camaraderie.

    Other winners included Jaideep Ahlawat (Paatal Lok 2) and Raghav Juyal, bagging Best Actor (Male) in the Critics’ and Popular categories, respectively, while Aditi Rao Hydari earned recognition for her performance in Heeramandi.

    The evening also saw a blend of generations, with industry veterans Anupam Kher and Shekhar Suman cheering on Patralekha, who won Breakthrough Performance (Female) Series for IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, while her husband Rajkummar Rao led a standing ovation.

    Adding a touch of nostalgia, Kunal Kohli presented Kajol with her award, reigniting Fanaa memories for Bollywood buffs.

    The night was filled with iconic reunions, including The Family Man trio Manoj Bajpayee, Priya Mani, and Neeraj Madhav, sharing the stage for the first time since Season 1. They were joined by Jaideep Ahlawat, the antagonist of the upcoming season, making for a momentous OTT crossover.

    Regional representation shone bright, with Sriimurali and Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar receiving special felicitations, while Miheeka Daggubati accepted the Best Talk Show Host award on behalf of her husband, Rana Daggubati.

    Commenting on the significance of the event, OTTplay, CEO and co-founder Avinash Mudaliar said, “At the OTTplay Awards, we honour the creators who challenge convention, the performers who redefine excellence, and the stories that resonate across languages and regions. With our ‘One Nation, One OTT Award’ vision, the OTTplay Awards are designed to transcend linguistic, regional, and platform-specific boundaries—recognising the finest in web series, OTT films, and digital storytelling from every corner of India’s dynamic entertainment ecosystem. This is more than an awards ceremony for me; it is a celebration of a cultural shift—a tribute to a golden era of streaming that is not arriving but already here. OTTplay Awards – Where India’s stories find their spotlight.”

    As the curtains closed with Raghav Juyal’s signature slow-motion hook step, the OTTplay Awards 2025 stood as a powerful testament to India’s ever-evolving digital entertainment landscape, where creativity knows no borders.

    The event was co-presented by Real Juice and Kuhl, powered by StockGro, and held in association with HT City. With Zoom as the official broadcast partner, and Flipkart Spoyl, D Pauls, Amante, and Propshop among key sponsors, the evening was a seamless blend of entertainment and industry excellence.

  • Netflix updates IC 814’s opening disclaimer responding to MIB concerns

    Netflix updates IC 814’s opening disclaimer responding to MIB concerns

    Mumbai: Well, it did turn out to be a storm in a teacup – the huge controversy over IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, the original series on streamer Netflix.  

    Netflix India content head Monika Shergill met the with information & broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju for about 40 minutes who informed her about the sentiments expressed by a large section of the society about the Hindu code names that were ascribed to two of the Pakistani terrorists who hijacked an Indian Airlines plane from Delhi and flew it to Kandahar from where they negotiated the release of three Pakistani prisoners in exchange for freedom  for  the plane’s passengers. He also apprised her of the need for platforms to be sensitive while handling such topics.

    Armed with research and factual documents, Shergill pointed out that the intent of the  platform and the film maker was to be as factually accurate in the dramatized version as possible. And the series was based on a book Flight Into Fear by the pilot Devi Sharan (and Srinjoy Chowdhury) of the hijacked plane which also pointed out that two of the hijackers had actually referred to themselves as Bhola and Shankar as long as the plane was under their control. She pointed out to  a home ministry note released around that time which also acknowledged the same. She also assured the secretary that Netflix  will ensure that the content of its future projects will take into account the sentiments of the Indian public.

    Later in the evening Shergill, came out with a statement saying that Netflix  had updated the opening disclaimer of the series.

    “For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers,” she said through a spokesperson.  “The code names in the series reflect those used during the actual event. India has a rich culture of storytelling — and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation.”