Based on the documented facts behind the hijacking of the flight IC814, the expectation that one must keep in mind while watching the show is clear – if you are anticipating some over the top jingoism to pour out on your screens in the wake of terrorists being overpowered during the hijack, then you may want a reality check. This is simply because the events of the show (and also in reality in 1999) do not have a binary touch to them. Things aren’t as black and white as they are usually made out to be in media, neither that of our impressions from the incident that would play out in our minds. The story here is grounded, often tasked with the reality of examining the shifting power tussles between the members of the different Government bodies who had to join forces for a faster resolution. The drama also explores the shifting power dynamics at the geo-political level, all of which did culminate towards their contributions directly or indirectly to this event, over its screenplay standing at 6 episodes of roughly 30 odd to 40 odd minutes each.

Here is just a little background to better understand the context here – India was at a war with Pakistan in 1999 which had ended by the time of the hijack, but internally having strained relations. India did NOT have a courteous relationship with China either who was considered to be the ally of Pakistan, thereby making only Nepal the neutral country, which was the hub of intelligence agencies from all its neughbouring countries. On the other hand, India had broken ties with Afghanistan (an important player on the show given that the plane did land in Kandahar) after the establishment of Taliban. India had ties with UAE who were then said to have better relations with the US, who had imposed an economic sanctions on India following the successful nuclear testing trials by India in 1998. And invariably all of these events had a part to play in the ultimate hijack situation.

There was an instant disconnect right at the start of the show wherein the writers decided to get to the main event minutes into the show. Ideally, I would have liked a little sense of world building and characterization to invest in the characters emotionally, which in turn meant that the central event had a lot of the heavy lifting to do, to fully expect a sense of involvement from the viewers. To the writers’ credit, there was palpable tension in the air even as the flight was about to bode and all the people were nicely settled into their chairs. This in contrast to me who suddenly found myself at the edge of the seat, almost expecting a thunderous showdown to begin with. I liked how the tension was builtup in the scene by slowly escalating things without having a sense of dramaticism to it. The events were grounded at any given point of time starting with fear and chaos to transitioning to realisation and later acceptance. On a parallel war footing, the drama did introduce the viewers to a plethora of characters belonging to different Government bodies who join forces for a faster resolution. Yet, India was a country ruled by procedure and that for me was also a conflict that was used as an undercurrent here.

The shifting dynamics of power was expertly examined through the drama featuring the authorities who initially began to take things lightly at the start before donning on the realisation of a nation being entrapped at the behest of the hijackers. It was almost a slow moving morning on the second day of the hijack (as shown on the show) that later transitioned into bouts of urgency. Yet, the implications of working in a silos was completely exposed and effectively showcased here, even as the drama did lay a foundation for a superb geo-political setup that drew lines of concerns of each nation with respect to India. This, even as the tension refused to subside while also raising the stakes in the drama through the killing of a character. The drama also focused on the plight of the passengers in the plane and the issues that were faced beyond the physical torture endured by them. This branched to logistical issues within the plane that were expertly showcased.

The levels of declining tension were almost symbolic of the case of acceptance of the situation by the characters both in and outside the plane. There was a start of a little camaraderie that was highlighted only briefly, before completely shifting focus to the talks of negotiation even while frequently alternating between a documentary and the unfolding drama on the show, a trend that was consistent throughout the narrative. And even as the talks of negotiation were showcased to be slightly playful, whereas the tension could have perhaps been infused further, the idea of ending the show on a whimper was a brave creative decision. This did bring me to my opening line about the expectations of the show – it is grounded and documented with facts without the mask of jingoism. A little montage at the end is enough to send a shiver down your spine, the same which also acts as a terrifying hindsight of sorts given the chain of events that transpired from that point until today. The screenplay is niche given how well it is grounded in reality, yet makes for a riveting watch, a rarity in today’s times featuring this combination.