A major Indian news agency, Asian News International (ANI), is suing Netflix over a controversial show called IC 814 – The Kandahar Hijack. This series is based on the real-life 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane by Pakistan-based terrorists. The issue? ANI claims Netflix used their archive footage and trademarked content without permission. They want Netflix to remove four episodes of the show.
But the lawsuit isn’t just about footage. The series also sparked a huge debate in India because it used Hindu names for the Muslim terrorists involved in the hijacking. According to government data, the real terrorists had nicknames like “Chief,” “Doctor,” “Burger,” “Bhola,” and “Shankar,” all traditionally Hindu names. The actual terrorists’ names were different—like Ibrahim Athar and Shahid Akhtar Sayed—but the show stuck with the nicknames.
This led to a national controversy, with many accusing Netflix of deliberately stirring up trouble. Though Netflix has since updated the disclaimer on the show, adding the real names and nicknames of the terrorists, the debate still rages on.
ANI’s lawyer argued that because of the negative attention surrounding the series, the news agency’s reputation is being damaged. The case was taken to the High Court in Delhi, and the court has now asked Netflix and the show’s producers to respond. One of the show’s producers claims they legally paid for the footage used, spending over a million rupees (around $12,000). The court will hear more about the case on Friday.
This lawsuit comes shortly after ANI found itself in another legal battle, this time with Wikipedia. ANI accused Wikipedia of allowing defamatory edits, calling ANI a “propaganda tool” for the Indian government. The Delhi High Court even warned that it would block Wikipedia in India if it didn’t follow local laws.
This clash between ANI and two major international platforms has turned into a heated legal battle, raising questions about media ethics, copyright, and national sentiment in India. All eyes are now on how this courtroom drama will unfold.
