- By Ridhi Suri
- Tue, 03 Sep 2024 11:41 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, the Netflix series which faced criticism for its portrayal of the hijackers' names, is not the first film to explore the December 1999 incident. Another notable adaptation is the 2010 Indian Malayalam-language war film 'Kandahar,' directed by Major Ravi and featuring Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan in key roles.
This film marked Amitabh Bachchan’s debut in the Malayalam film industry. He played a cameo role as Lokanatha Sharma. In a blog post from that time, the megastar revealed that he worked on the film without charging a fee. He mentioned that Mohanlal personally visited him with the film’s director to offer him the role and discuss payment, but Amitabh Bachchan declined the fee, feeling honoured to act alongside Mohanlal.
In his 2010 blog, Amitabh praised Mohanlal as one of the greatest talents in Malayalam cinema. He also noted that both Mohanlal and director Major Ravi visited his home to finalise the shooting schedule. "They (Mohanlal and Ravi) had come over to officially sign me on and make payments etc.. Ha..!! Payments ? Fees ? Remuneration ? For a guest appearance of three days ? With Mohanlal who has always had my greatest admiration ? No way !! I don’t charge money for such acts," the Kalki actor wrote.
"Respectfully declined their offer, gave them some home-made tea, shook hands, embraced, and saw them off. It (the film) will probably be shot in Ooty, the picturesque and quaint hill station in the beautiful Nilgiri Range of mountains down south," AB added.
For the unversed, in Kandahar, Amitabh Bachchan portrayed a father whose son, a member of the Indian Army, dies while trying to thwart the hijackers along with his senior officer, played by Mohanlal. The film, which also featured Ganesh Venkatraman and Ragini Dwivedi, received criticism for its weak script upon its release. Later, Abhishek Bachchan starred in 'Zameen,' a 2003 film partially inspired by the Kandahar hijacking, directed by Rohit Shetty.
About IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack
The web series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, has stirred controversy over claims of factual inaccuracies, whitewashing terrorism, and offending public sentiment. Released on August 29, the series boasts a notable cast, including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, and Pankaj Kapur. The backlash emerged almost immediately after its debut, with social media users criticising the filmmakers for distorting the details of the hijacking.