Netflix India yesterday said it has updated the opening disclaimer of its latest series ‘IC814: The Kandahar Hijack’, which has courted controversy over its depiction of hijackers’ code names.

“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,” said Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content at Netflix India, according to a PTI report filed from Mumbai.

“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,” she said in the statement.

Shergill’s comments came after her meeting with the Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju in New Delhi yesterday. She was summoned by the ministry after concerns were raised in some quarters about various issues, including Hindu code names used by the hijackers and the alleged humane face given to some of them.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha and featuring a stellar cast of Vijay Varma, Patralekhaa, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Arvind Swamy, Dia Mirza, the series chronicles the true story of the December 1999 hijack.

It is inspired by real events, including an adaptation of the book titled ‘Flight Into Fear’ written by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury.

The series has courted controversy on social media and elsewhere with many claiming that the filmmaker changed the names of the hijackers to ‘Shankar’ and ‘Bhola’ to allegedly protect the terrorists who belonged to a certain community.

Hashtags such as #BoycottNetflix, #BoycottBollywood and #IC814 trended on social media but many survivors and journalists have come out in support of the series saying that the hijackers did use the code names depicted in the show.

The ‘aliases’ used by the hijackers in the series have been in public domain, including the Union Home Ministry’s official statement issued on January 6, 2000.

Meanwhile another PTI report from New Delhi stated that Shergill’s meeting with MIB Secretary Jaju in his office lasted for about 40 minutes during which the OTT platform official was apprised of the sentiments expressed by a large section of the society and the need to be sensitive while handling such topics.

Voicing concern over the depiction of terrorists in the web series, a senior official has said nobody has the right to play with the sentiments of the nation.

“Nobody has the right to play with the sentiments of the people of this nation. Indian culture and civilisation should always be respected,” another official source said.

“Should we allow any foreign people to slipshod over our cultural values,” the source said without elaborating.

The sources said filmmakers have to think before portraying something in a wrong manner. “You may be liberal, but you cannot portray institutions in a wrong manner,” the source said.