The Kandahar Hijack' has reignited public awareness of one of India's most notorious terrorist incidents. This six-episode series focuses on the harrowing hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 on December 24, 1999, during its journey from Kathmandu to Delhi. The aircraft, an Airbus A300, was carrying 190 people, including 179 passengers and 11 crew, when it was taken hostage by a group of Pakistani terrorists shortly after it crossed into Indian territory.

Initially, the flight was redirected to Amritsar and later to Lahore and Dubai, before ultimately landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The tense hostage situation unfolded over several days, ending on December 31 when the Indian government acceded to the hijackers' demands, releasing three terrorists — Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Mushtaq Zargar — in exchange for the safety of the remaining passengers.

While most hostages returned home safely to their families, the tragedy of one passenger, Rupin Katyal, looms large. On the ill-fated flight, which he boarded with his wife Rachna after their honeymoon, Rupin was killed by the terrorists. As he was separated from his wife during the hijacking, Rupin continued to look back for her, inciting the wrath of one of his captors. Tragically, he was fatally stabbed multiple times and his body was taken out in Dubai, where the plane had briefly stopped before continuing to Kandahar. Rupin was murdered on the same day as the hijacking, but Rachna only discovered the heartbreaking news after the hostages were released on December 31.

The assailant suspected of inflicting the fatal wounds on Rupin, identified as Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim or Jamali, was killed by unidentified attackers in Karachi in March 2022, closing another chapter on this tragic saga.