New Delhi: Despite the controversy surrounding his latest web series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, director Anubhav Sinha remains confident and grateful. The series has been accused of misrepresenting the religious identity of the five terrorists who hijacked the Indian Airlines flight in 1999. In response, the OTT platform added a disclaimer specifying the real names of the perpetrators.

Sinha, while speaking about the controversy, emphasized that he remains focused on the positive reception the series has received. "Pyaar bahut zyada aa raha hai. All the praise, love, and pats on the back make everything else fade away," Sinha said, adding that he avoids engaging in controversies and prefers to concentrate on his work. He highlighted that the project was intensely researched and that he remained truthful to the script throughout its development, which began in June 2022.

Several survivors have shared their experiences post the release of the show, and Sinha noted that while he hasn't been active online, he is aware of the discussions. He mentioned that, like his previous films Mulk (2018), Thappad (2020), Anek (2022), and Bheed (2023), he approached this project with a purist mindset. "Many are calling this my best work to date, and people are binge-watching it with their families, which I am happy to know from the platform data," he said, expressing his gratitude.

Reflecting on his first web series experience, Sinha admitted that initially, he was concerned about the format being shown on a small screen. However, he said that the overwhelming response, with the series trending in 42 countries, has been gratifying.

Looking ahead, Sinha revealed that he has 4-5 scripts in the pipeline but plans to take a break, possibly at a hill station, to relax before starting afresh.

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Pilibhit (UP) (PTI): Two men were killed in a head-on collision between their motorcycles in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district on Wednesday, police said.

The incident occurred near Gauhaniya village on the Bisalpur-Bilsanda road. According to police, the two men were returning home after celebrating Holi at their in-laws' houses.

They were riding at high speed when their motorcycles collided head-on near Gauhaniya village, an eyewitness said. Both sustained severe head injuries and died on the spot.

One of the deceased was identified as Surendra Kumar (26). He was returning from his in-laws' house in Ganguapur village.

The other victim, Dhanpal (25), was a resident of Badhela Badagaon village in neighbouring Shahjahanpur district. He was returning from his in-laws' house in Vakainiya village in the Bilsanda area.

Bilsanda Station House Officer Siddhant Sharma confirmed the incident and said both damaged motorcycles have been seized. "A detailed investigation is underway. Traffic on the road has been restored," he said.

Police identified the victims through documents found on them and informed their families. The bodies have been sent to the district headquarters for post-mortem.

In a separate incident, a 60-year-old woman was killed after being hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Bareilly-Pilibhit highway under Jahanabad police station limits late on Tuesday night.

Jahanabad Station House Officer Pradeep Bishnoi said the deceased was identified as Ramkali, aged around 60, a resident of Balpur village. She was reportedly mentally unwell and often wandered away from home.