I remained truthful with the script: Anubhav Sinha responds to 'IC 814' controversy
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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Binny Bansal steps down from board of PhonePe
New Delhi, Nov 22: Flipkart's co-founder Binny Bansal has stepped down from the board of PhonePe, the fintech company said on Friday.
PhonePe also announced the appointment of Manish Sabharwal as an Independent Director and Chair of its Audit Committee.
In this role, Sabharwal will be instrumental in upholding the integrity and effectiveness of PhonePe's financial reporting, internal controls, and risk management practices, he company said in a release.
"PhonePe also announced that Flipkart's co-founder, Binny Bansal has stepped down from its Board of Directors. Binny acquired PhonePe in 2016 and has been on its Board since then," the release said.
Commenting on the board rejig, Sameer Nigam, CEO and Founder of PhonePe said, "I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Binny Bansal for being one of PhonePe's earliest and staunchest supporters. His active engagement, strategic guidance, and personal mentorship have profoundly enriched our discussions. Binny will be missed!"
Nigam further said that Sabharwal's depth of understanding of India's macro economy, coupled with his leadership in shaping India's policies for education, employment, and employability will be invaluable as PhonePe continues to work ahead towards shared vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Sabharwal is Vice-Chairman of Teamlease Services, India's largest staffing and human capital firm.
Bansal played an instrumental role in Flipkart's acquisition of PhonePe way back in 2016 and had been on its board since then (the payments firm separated from Flipkart in 2022).
