IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, starring Vijay Varma, has sparked a major controversy for misrepresentation and distortion of facts. A section of the internet slammed the makers for changing the names of hijackers (affiliated with Islamic extremist groups) to "Shankar" and "Bhola".

The Kandahar Hijack garnered praise but also faced criticism. Some viewers accused the series of misrepresenting the terrorists' religious identities and whitewashing the role of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from Pakistan.

Anubhav Sinha also argued that if “You make 10 films, and if you end up making five films that are hit then you are doing rather fine.” Anek was released in theatres in May 2022 while Bheed was released in 2023 and starred Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar among others.

The Kandahar Hijack, has been in the limelight for the last few weeks. The director opened up about the failures of his last two releases – Anek and Bheed in a recent interview with The Indian Express.

The Kandahar Hijack director Anubhav Sinha spoke on the challenges involved while making a show about a 'slightly contentious issue' and the need to be 'doubly responsible'. The web series follows the hijacking of the Delhi bound Indian Airlines flight in 1999.

Weeks after the Netflix series sparked controversy around the names of the terrorists, Anubhav Sinha, Dia Mirza, and Vijay Varma have reacted to it.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha and based on Captain Devi Sharan’s memoir, the series centers around the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814.