Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha is gearing up for his OTT debut

"IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack" set to premiere on Netflix on Aug 29

Series based on true story of 1999 aircraft hijacking by Pakistani militants

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha is gearing up for his OTT debut with the highly anticipated series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Set to premiere on Netflix on August 29, the series delves into the harrowing true story of the 1999 hijacking of an Indian aircraft by Pakistani militants.

The teaser opens with Indian passengers boarding a flight from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, bound for Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. Vijay Varma stars as the pilot, Sharan Dev, who faces an intense crisis when five masked militants seize control of the aircraft. The scene depicts a chilling moment of violence as the hijackers threaten the crew and passengers, igniting widespread panic.

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The series boasts a stellar ensemble cast, including Pankaj Kapur, Dia Mirza, Manoj Pahwa, and Naseeruddin Shah, who portray key Indian government officials dealing with the crisis. As the drama unfolds, the passengers find themselves in escalating danger, being flown to Kandahar, Afghanistan, which is under Taliban rule.

Inspired by real events, the series recounts the seven-day ordeal faced by 176 passengers aboard IC-814. The aircraft, initially en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was diverted to Kandahar. The hijacking was allegedly supported by Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, ISI.