Rajiv Thakur On How IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Helped Him Demonstrate Versatility As An Actor – News18

Rajiv Thakur has over the years been known as one the best comedians. He has been part of Kapil Sharma’s show as well as Comedy Circus. While Rajiv has impressed everyone with his epic comic timing and wit, not many were aware of his stellar acting prowess. He was recently seen in the much-acclaimed series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack where he played the antagonist and surprised fans portraying the dark character. In his latest interview, Rajiv stated how this show helped him demonstrate his versatility as an actor.

Speaking to ETimes about taking up a negative role in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, Rajiv Thakur stated, “I’ve always loved making people laugh, but I knew I had more to offer as an actor. When the opportunity to play the antagonist in IC 814 came along, I saw it as the perfect challenge. He expressed his gratitude to Director Anubhav Sinha, Mukesh Chhabra, and the streaming platform for believing in me.”

Recalling how he was cast for the film, Rajiv stated, Anubhav Sinha was shocked after his audition. He called Mukesh Chhabra and suggested that the audience might not take Rajiv seriously, but Mukesh stood up for him and said, “If you don’t give talent like this a chance, then who will?”

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is based on true events surrounding the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999. On December 24, the flight from Kathmandu to Delhi was hijacked and ended up landing in Taliban-controlled territory in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where it remained for a week until December 31. The series showed Rajiv Thakur as the mastermind behind the hijack.

Anubhav Sinha directed the six-episode miniseries, which is based on Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury’s book Flight into Fear: A Captain’s Story. The ensemble cast includes Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Arvind Swamy, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Dia Mirza, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Aditya Srivastava, Kanwaljit Singh and Patralekhaa.

Rajiv Thakur has been a member of The Kapil Sharma Show, which aired on Sony Entertainment Television from 2016 until 2023. He performed a variety of characters on the show. Rajiv also appeared on The Great Indian Kapil Show earlier this year, which started streaming on Netflix.