Anubhav Sinha’s IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack ambitiously attempts to weave together multiple perspectives, but the result is a shallow and politically glib thriller. The series, based on the real-life 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight, fails to delve deep into the nuances of the situation, leaving the narrative lacking in critical scrutiny.
The show dramatizes the week-long crisis that unfolded after the plane was hijacked, exploring the negotiations between the terrorists and the Indian government. However, despite the high stakes, the screenplay struggles to balance its portrayal of geopolitical tensions, the personal toll on passengers, and the administrative hurdles faced by Indian authorities.
While IC 814 boasts a stellar cast, including veterans like Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapoor, their performances are undercut by lackluster character development. The ensemble, though talented, fails to transcend beyond serviceable roles, leaving little emotional impact. Only Vijay Varma’s character’s wife, who grapples with her husband’s role in delaying the rescue mission, gets a glimpse of the inner conflict missing from the rest of the cast.
The series frequently veers into flashbacks and uses archival footage to explain larger geopolitical contexts, such as Indo-American relations post-Pokhran nuclear tests and Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan. However, these elements feel perfunctory and detached from the main plot, making the show feel disjointed. The mixed-media style, meant to enhance the narrative, instead feels bland and fails to add the intended depth.
One of the show’s weaker aspects is its portrayal of media ethics, where a TV editor’s clash with a reporter is reduced to cliché dialogues and familiar tropes, failing to probe deeper into the tension between national security and journalism.
The show aims to explore how history will judge the decisions made by those in power, but the writing reduces complex situations to predictable stereotypes. The portrayal of intelligence agencies is similarly thin, as bureaucratic red tape slows down the rescue mission, draining the series of urgency and tension.
IC 814 also grapples clumsily with religious themes, awkwardly contrasting the “good Muslim” and “bad Muslim” archetypes in an attempt to avoid jingoism. This attempt at fair-mindedness instead comes across as overly simplistic, leaving the show politically shallow and narratively unfocused. Ultimately, IC 814 fails to land its ambitious scope, delivering a flat and frustrating viewing experience.
