Dia Mirza reacts to controversy over changing names of terrorists in IC 814: ‘Everything is verifiable and factual’

Dia Mirza recently responded to the controversy surrounding the use of aliases for terrorists in Anubhav Sinha's IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. In the crime-thriller-drama series, the actor plays the role of a journalist and addressed objections to the use of aliases such as ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar.’ Dia, in an interview with Galatta Plus, mentioned that anyone with concerns can verify the information as the show is based on facts. (Also read: IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack review: Avengers of Indian acting assemble for Anubhav Sinha's gripping, nuanced thriller)

Dia Mirza on controversy over her new show

While reacting to the mixed opinions and online backlash, Dia said, “I think what matters is the intention. I don’t think the intention of the show is to cause any disharmony. That’s the most important thing. And that’s our truth. The second thing is that I think everything that is being questioned is verifiable, and factual. How do you debate that?”

When Dia's co-star Vijay Varma who joined her in the interview mentioned how the media backed the show, she pointed out, “Because they can verify the information.”

About IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

Dia plays the character of Shalini aka Sha Chandra, Editor of India Headlines in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The series is based on the real-life events of 1999 when Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked by five men after it took off from Kathmandu. The flight first landed in Amritsar, then in Lahore, and then in Dubai where 27 passengers were freed in exchange for fuel. The plane was then taken to Kandahar, and the standoff lasted for a week.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack also features Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Arvind Swamy, Manoj Pahwa, Patralekha Paul, Kumud Mishra, Aditya Srivastava, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Pooja Gor, Kanwaljit Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Sushant Singh, Rajiv Thakur and others in crucial characters.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is available for streaming on Netflix.

Dia Mirza's acting career

Dia's debut film Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001), recently re-released in theatres. The movie also features R Madhavan and Saif Ali Khan in pivotal roles. Her last theatrical release was Dhak Dhak (2023). She has also acted in web shows such as Kaafir (2019) and Made in Heaven (2023).