The hijacking of a FlyDubai plane has been turned into an inspirational film by Dori Media Group and India's Sphereorigin.

The harrowing yet ultimately hopeful story of last month's FlyDubai hijacking has been made into a feature film by Dori Media Group and India's Sphereorigin. The September 30 incident is believed to have been a terrorist plot by the FlyDubai co-pilot, who was heading to Ben Gurion International Airport in […]

The harrowing but ultimately hopeful story of the FlyDubai hijacking incident last month has been made into a narrative film by Dori Media Group and India's Sphereorigin.

The September 30 incident is said to have been a terrorist plot by the co-pilot of a Fly Dubai flight bound for Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. The flight was mostly filled with Israeli citizens traveling home after visiting Dubai. It is alleged that the co-pilot stabbed the captain of the plane and took control of the flight with the intention of crashing it at Ben-Gurion airport. The flight reportedly fell more than 14,000 feet for about 30 seconds before the valiant efforts of the injured pilot, Capt. Smith Machchar, allowed passengers to control the suspected pilot in the cockpit. RELATED STORIES Highlights from Iberseaway: Woody Allen in his new movie, Les Javis' HBO Max deal, Kacho Brown Bear stories and more Crazy Rich Asians HBO Series Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Ronnie Ching Returning

Makhchahar's extraordinary circumstances have made him a national hero in his native India and Israel. Dori Media, a film and television producer based in Tel Aviv, Zurich and Buenos Aires, approached Sphereorigin representatives about working together on a film. The project came together in unprecedented time the old fashioned way at the Mipcom content market and conference in Cannes. Popular in Variety

We were honored to collaborate with Dori Media on this prestigious project as we have known and worked with them for a long time. Tripathy) felt that they were the ideal partner to produce a film of this calibre,” said Sunjoy Waddhwa, Managing Director, Mumbai-based Sphereorigins.

Tripathy brokered the deal on behalf of Dori Media and Sphereorigin.

Nadav Palti, president of Dori Media, was surprised and energized by the phone call between the parties on October 11, on the eve of the opening of Mipcom. The parties met at the Dori Media booth in the palace and signed the terms of the development agreement by the afternoon of October 14. Paletti told Variety that the speed with which the deal came together reflects the companies' willingness to tell the story of what could have been a devastating tragedy but instead became a triumph that showed the skill and healing of injuries. The co-pilot accused of carrying out this attack has been arrested and is being prosecuted by the UAE authorities.

"We are honored to co-produce this feature film with the Sphereorigins team," Paletti said. "What happened in that flight was nothing but a miracle and we will seek to tell the heroic story of the pilot and brave people in this film. The passengers who helped save the lives of many passengers of that historic flight."

In the narrative that has been published from authorities and passenger accounts, Mechchahar had the presence of mind to unlock the cockpit door after being stabbed. This allowed passengers to hear the commotion and understand what was happening. Machar tried to maintain control of the plane, and in the midst of the noise, a group of passengers managed to subdue the suspected attacker. Two other pilots who happened to be traveling on the flight then took control of the plane and were able to land the plane safely at Riyadh Airport, Saudi Arabia. The ability to do so represents a kind gesture by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which otherwise does not allow Israeli-affiliated aircraft to land on its borders.

"I was lying injured on the floor, but I told myself to open the door from the inside for one last push," Makhchar said recently in a much-publicized video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Of course I was fighting for my life, but at the same time I knew I wouldn't let others die."

After receiving unsolicited requests from Indian media companies, Waddhwa signed a film development deal on the incident. The parties are still looking for a writer and director. The hope is to release it on an accelerated timeline next year.

Broadcast platforms and broadcasters in India have approached us and expressed their interest in telling the heroic story of the brave Indian pilot. The Israeli passengers on that recent flight," Wadhwa said. "We are honored to collaborate with Dori Media on this prestigious project as we have known and worked with them for a long time and along with Subh (Subhadarshi Tripathy) we felt they were the ideal partner to produce a film of this calibre."

Sphereorigin was founded by Waddhwa and others in 2002. Dori Media Group has been among Israel's largest independent producers since its inception in 1996. At Mipcom, the company had its largest ever slate of offerings - from documentaries and documentaries to game and quiz series to drama scripts. It produces a wide range of Spanish-language content for Argentina and other Latin American markets.

(Image: Tribute to Captain Smith Machchar made of sand on Puri Beach, India)