Bringing together some of the biggest names in the industry for IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, director Anubhav Sinha shares how the formidable task of assembling a stellar cast, including acting legends Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, and Vijay Varma, turned out to be less daunting than anticipated.
The highly anticipated limited series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, offers a gripping retelling of the harrowing 1999 hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight 814. The event, which saw a group of militants seizing control of the Delhi-bound aircraft with 173 passengers on board, is set to captivate audiences with its intense narrative and stellar performances.
For any director, bringing together seasoned actors like Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Arvind Swami, Manoj Pahwa, and Kumud Mishra could present a considerable challenge. Yet, Anubhav Sinha seems pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the pieces fell into place. The cast also features talents such as Vijay Varma, Dia Mirza, and Patralekha, marking an exciting ensemble for Sinha’s first venture into series and serial content creation.
Reflecting on his long-standing association with Pankaj Kapur, which dates back to their collaborations on Dus (2005) and most recently on Bheed (2023), Sinha acknowledges the advantage this bond provided. Despite Kapur’s initial reluctance, confidently saying, “Main nahin karunga” (I won’t do it), Sinha could sense that Kapur was likely to come around. “Pankaj bhai said, ‘Main nahin karunga,’ but I knew he would,” shares Sinha, who has not only directed but also co-created and co-written the series.
However, Sinha’s optimism was not initially extended to Naseeruddin Shah and Arvind Swami. Given Shah’s preference for theatre and his limited appearances in the film industry, Sinha was skeptical about his involvement. Yet, to his surprise, Shah accepted the role even before the director could fully pitch it. “I had thought it would be difficult to cast Naseer bhai because he does less work and is more interested in doing theatre. I was halfway into proposing the role to him, and he said yes,” Sinha recounts.
Similarly, Arvind Swami’s inclusion in the cast also came without much resistance. A brief conference call ended with Swami agreeing to be a part of the project with a simple ‘Okay’. Sinha humorously recalls his confusion, “But I was [still unsure] whether he was doing it. But how do you ask [again] if the person has said okay?” he laughs.
Adding to the cast’s dynamic is Vijay Varma, who portrays the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft.
. His enthusiasm and quick agreement to join the project further eased Sinha’s concerns. The director narrates, “When he left [the meeting], I thought we’d send him the script, he would read it and tell us if he wanted to do it. But two hours later, they were already talking dates. I wasn’t on such terms with him that I could call and say, ‘Script toh bheji nahin maine!’”
The genesis of IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack began when Netflix approached Sinha with the idea of retelling the hijack’s story. This collaboration piqued Sinha’s interest, particularly as he realized he was not fully aware of many specifics regarding the incident. This motivated him to delve deeper into the events of that fateful hijack. “The plane landed in Kandahar on the morning of December 25, the Indian negotiation team reached on December 26. On a conversation level, you’d say, ‘Why did it take them [so long] to reach?’ But there was so much going on at home. [They] had to know what they could offer. There were moral, ethical, and political questions that the government was dealing with,” he elaborates.
The series not only recounts the traumatic events but also contemplates if such an attack could have been averted. Sinha introspects on whether historical incidents like these teach us any lessons. “The human mind doesn’t learn from history; we make it worse. Nine months after this, 9/11 happened. So, that was the time when militants were toying with the idea of using an aircraft as a weapon. So, one has to think ahead of them and make sure this doesn’t happen again. But [such events] are still happening,” he observes.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack promises to be a thrilling recounting of an incident that shook the nation. With a star-studded cast and an insightful narrative, Anubhav Sinha’s maiden series is set to leave a significant mark on audiences and the annals of storytelling alike.
