For International Emmy nomination for Manav Kaul Real Kashmir Football Club He is a validation of something he believed about the series from the time he read its script.
The actor says he was moved by the story’s central idea of two communities coming together through football and creating something meaningful despite the circumstances around them.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Kaul said he was surprised that a story with such potential had not been told earlier.
“When I read the script, I thought it had great potential, and I was wondering why no one has made it yet. Because it’s a wonderful story about peace, about two religions coming together and making something great. And that’s what India is,” he said.
Real Kashmir Football ClubAlso starring Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub, businessman Sandeep Chattu and journalist Shamim Meraj, Real Kashmir is inspired by the real-life story of the founder of the football club.
Set against the backdrop of Kashmir, the series juxtaposes the deep passion for football with the personal and social struggles of the people of the region.
The series’ nomination in the Drama Series category at the International Emmy Awards has now given the team another reason to celebrate, although Kaul admits they have yet to live up to the achievement. When asked if the team had started preparing for the Emmys, the actor joked that they were still trying to make the nominations real.
“We’re still in disbelief; we can’t believe it. Our director was saying, ‘Is this fake? Did someone make it?’ Then I explained to them,friendIt is on their official website. We couldn’t believe that something like this had happened to us. We are such simple people that when something big like this happens to us, it takes us a while to actually believe it,” Kaul said.
Kaul was happy when the audience responded positively to the show after its release but felt that it did not reach as many people as he had hoped. He now believes an International Emmy nomination could change that.
“When it released, and people saw it, and they loved it, I was happy, but it didn’t spread the way I thought it should. But then I think a lot of people will see it now because of this nomination and I’m very happy,” he told NDTV.
The actor also talked about shooting the series in Kashmir and described the experience as particularly memorable because of the collaborative environment on the sets. He chose director Mahesh Mathai to create an environment where everyone, regardless of their role, could contribute ideas.
Kaul said, “Mahesh Mathai is one of the most collaborative directors I’ve ever met. Everyone was pitching their ideas while shooting. He would stop the shoot and discuss, ‘We should do it like this, we should do it like this,’ and he would listen to everyone, not just me, everyone,” said Kaul.
Working with local Kashmiri artists was another highlight for him. “It was great to see them work, to see them perform, to see them perform their story. It was wonderful. So I thought the whole combination was very wonderful. I thought it was something unique that we were doing,” he said.
After shooting extensively in the Valley, Kaul described Kashmir as not only beautiful but welcoming, praising its people, infrastructure and food.
“Kashmir is one of the wonderful places to shoot. Their infrastructure is very good. The people are very nice; they welcome you very beautifully, and the food is amazing,” he said.
Real Kashmir Football Club Currently streaming on SonyLIV.