Regarding sensitive subjects such as national security, filmmakers often use a jingoisical tone. Dramatic speeches, theatrical dialogues, Mawkish music and factually incorrect representations underlie history. Fortunately, this is not the case with the last original Netflix series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, which brings a refreshing approach of the genre.
The show brings us back to December 1999, when five terrorists regained control of a flight from Indian airlines, on the road from Kathmandu to Delhi, over a period of eight days. The incident has since been declined in the history of India as a scary reminder for the non-preparation of the government, the numerous bureaucratic gaps and painfully long negotiations with terrorists who finally led to the release of hostages; The story of Anubhav Sinha and Damy Srivastava puts all naked.
During the six episodes, we witness the chaos and the devastation that took place, both on the plane and on the ground, while the crisis pushed the nation on the edge. From the creation of the diversion plan to its monstrous results, the series firmly establishes the order of events captivatingly. All the episodes are clear and well at the rate and do not waste time beating the bush. There are no unnecessary tropes or sub -intrigues on which commercial cinema is often based strongly.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Review: perfectly balanced
Patalekha plays the role of one of the two aerial hostesses aboard the flight IC 814 diverted
While films and emissions based on real events often have a risk of overloading information that leaves the public confused and exploited, or an excessive simplification which reduces the nuances of history to a Wikipedia page, Sinha has done an excellent work of colony between the two with intelligent voices to provide a context. The show is neither boring, like an important part of historical documentaries tends to be, and she does not follow the version of the utopian policy of Bollywood, where politicians and judges express sentimental speeches as moral lessons to criminals.
Even if we are given a lot of information on terrorists, foreign relations and geopolitical confrontations, the general tone never becomes academic. The uniformly placed voices give a net context of what is happening and why, without crushing the public. They help form a kind of dialogue between the manufacturers of the mini-series and the viewers. Although a similar approach was attempted in Amar Singh Chamkila by Imtiaz Ali, it did not quite work – at least not for me. Fortunately, the defective fragmentation of the biopic is not observed in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.
The original Netflix also remains suspicious of the mono-Christ representation of political goof-ups. We see the crisis management group taking practical tea breaks like the life of many suspended in the air, and the same group bringing its neck to play to save the day. You will hear them guaranteeing “our people” and you also see them complaining about “too much democracy” in the country. They are not painted with a singular brush.
The show is faithful to the book of Captain Devi Sharan, the unhappy flight driver of flight 814, and incorporates real archive images, offering a perceptive story of the tragedy’s incidents. We see the minister at the time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to condemn the diversion, of families moaning protesting against airports and press anchors signaling the burial of civil servants.
During his stay in Kandahar, the engine of the real IC 814 remained continuously to protect everyone from the cold winter nights biting in Afghanistan
The scenes recreated are remarkably precise and clearly similar to the original images, thanks to meticulous attention to details with meticulous positioning, camera angles and even gestures. There are images of Jaswant Singh, then Minister of External Affairs, speaking of the diversion of the media, immediately followed by Pankaj Kapur – trying the same role, with the name of Singh changed – the recreated version. Recreation is beyond the impressive with Kapur’s convincing diction, adding to the global excellence of the scene. Sinha and Shrivastava, however, have made some changes by exchanging the real names of civil servants and passengers, likely to protect their privacy and avoid conflicts.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Review: Nuiananced Portrayal
Naseeruddin Shah and Arvind Swamy play the secretary of the Cabinet of India and the co-secretary of Raw, respectively, in the show
The series also subverts the usual tropes seen in similar films and television adaptations. Halfway there, there is a scene where we see a terrorist playing Antakshari With a group of passengers. In another, we see a light on the captain and comforting a vomiting air hostess. The representation of the terrorists is not a note and is surprisingly nuanced, exploring how humans could behave in unfavorable and unusual circumstances.
The show also excels in light on pure despair and despair of the situation. More than 180 passengers and crew were confined to the plane for seven days, fearing their lives and clinging to hope in the midst of vile conditions. In a particularly disturbing scene, we see a helpless on -board agent cleaning a dirty and overflowing toilet when there is no more room on the plane so that anyone relieves himself. The scene is one of the most impactful sequences of the show and the disturbing imagery is likely to stay with viewers long after the credit bearing.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Review: technical failures
To prepare for this role, Vijay Verma spent a little time with Captain Devi Sharan and visited a pilot training institute
Despite an excellent recreation of the period and a engaging scenario, IC 814 is considerably late on the visual front. Although I can still understand the global dark tone of the series and excuse it for the creative choice given the themes, certain scenes are inaccessible, in particular those where bureaucrats meet. Inappropriate lighting and poor quality modifications make scenes appear as a dream sequence of a blind person, with a ghostly halo effect hovering on figures.
The classification of colors in these scenes is so distracting that it almost interferes and compromises the gravity of history. While the senior officials discuss the fate of the nation for the years to come and ask individual attention, I could not help but be distracted by the dark abnormal circles of Naseeruddin Shah. The visuals of the show would have successfully succeeded without these Turôlée shades and dominated by Orange.
Another front where the technical gaps compromised the quality of the scene were filming turbulent IC 814 suspended in the sky. The entire setting is excessively trembling, recalling one of the vintage films where a crew member may shake the painted cardboard in the sky in front of a huge camera goal. Although I get that manufacturers intended to bring out a feeling of urgency, but a better work of visual effects could have easily done.
This is particularly disappointing because Sinha has done differently shiny work with a design and accessories. We see Maruti Suzukis Original, vintage radios, cases of classic records and even fashion trends in the 90s.
IC 814: The diversion of Kandahar constitutes a fascinating genre spectacle, supported by in -depth research and precise recreations of the tragedy
Some technical shortcomings apart, IC 814: the Handahar Hijack is an exceptional show and assessment that has established a new bar for historical adaptations. From its conceptions of impeccable sets to remarkable leisure, the original Netflix successfully captures the essence of this era and transmits horror beyond the screens. Sinha’s in -depth research is obvious in each scene and manage to transmit the gravity of the crisis, without overwhelming viewers with too much information.
IC 814: Kandahar’s diversion raises crucial questions about national security, public security and bureaucratic gaps, serving as a poignant recall of the huge cost that a nation may have to pay even with the slightest negligence. This creates a feeling of urgency, without pointing your fingers on anyone. The real question, however, is whether we are ready to fight something like that now. Is Kandahar’s tragedy a hard-learned lesson or a dark chapter engraved in history? Although there has been no other plane diversion in India since IC 814, Sinha’s show is a appropriate reminder of identifying and combating systemic weaknesses.
Note: 8/10
All episodes of IC 814: the Handahar Hijack is now in difficulty on Netflix
