Manav Kaul and Mahesh Mathai Interview: On creating ‘Real Kashmir Football Club’ and representing the voice of the valley

It rarely happens that an actor’s own life is projected through the characters he plays on screen. This has happened twice with Manav Kaul recently. In BaramullaWhich released on Netflix last month, the actor played a policeman investigating a series of kidnappings in the quaint town of Kashmir, which is also the birthplace of Manav. he returns to the valley Real Kashmir Football Club,It is set to release on Sony Liv on 9th December. Starring a Kashmiri Pandit businessman who helps build a football team, the show resonates even more with Manav’s own life. Especially how in the first episode of the show, his character honestly says that he has left Kashmir once and will not do so again. Perhaps the resolute charm in his voice comes from his lived reality of leaving the Valley during the rise of militancy in the 1990s – an experience he brilliantly captures in his deeply personal travelogue, Soul. Manav flashes a big smile at the comparison.

Interestingly, during his second meeting with the series director, Mahesh Mathai and producer, Killian Kerwin, Manav revealed that both of them had read something. soulManav says, “That was a completely different meeting, It was as if they had completed my work and then they were talking to me, When I met them I just felt heard, That was a big thing for me, I realized during that meeting how sensitively they were making the show by understanding every aspect of Kashmir,”

A scene from the show Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Apart from focusing on telling the real story about the formation of the football club, the series also attempts to touch upon the socio-political complexity of the valley. It depicts a conservative leader of a youth group who shares his divisive idea of ​​’Kashmiriyat’, emphasizing the importance of preserving identity and culture. A simple counterpoint is realized in the change-driven mindset of human character, for which living in peace is a right and maintaining unity is a responsibility. Mahesh says that while making the show, he discussed in detail the correct use of the word ‘Kashmiriyat’.

“Sometimes the idea of ​​Kashmiriyat can also get hijacked. So, we were careful not to politicize it too much as we wanted to focus on our main story about the club,” says the director, known for making films like “Kashmiriyat”. Bhopal Express (1999) and broken thread (2007). Mahesh admits that it was a challenge to accurately represent the voice of the people of Kashmir through the show.

“When I met locals in Kashmir during recce and research, some of them asked if the show was about Pandits. I told them no. But I realized it was important to give the complete picture otherwise it could be misleading. I understood that I needed to give balance to the story. So, I can now say that this show represents the community of Kashmir at large, especially Srinagar. Anyone from Srinagar who watches it will feel that it is their show.”

Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub also plays an important role in the show. Photo courtesy: Special arrangement.

Manav also feels that the show has covered the “spectrum of life” in Kashmir. He added, “Ultimately, if the show isn’t entertaining and engaging, it won’t work, no matter what your intentions are.” Apart from his extensive work in writing plays and books, Manav is also a film producer. He has directed two independent films, laughed (2012) and Tathagata (2021), both are set in the mountains and shot in Uttarakhand. Even his third directorial, Jolly JokerWas shot in the same area. Has he ever planned to shoot a film in Kashmir? “I don’t know. I’m a very spontaneous person. If I feel like it, I’ll do it. But whatever I’m doing now, I think is enough,” he says with a smile.

His intuition also guides him when he is performing in front of the camera or on stage, creating an effortless charm in his presence. Manav says that whatever he knows about acting he knows through his experience as a director and writer. “I was a terrible actor. When I started out, I wanted to prove myself. But when I left acting for 12-13 years in between, I understood acting because I was directing some great actors on stage,” he says, adding that he learned a lot about the art by watching child actors during shoots. laughed And Tathagata“They don’t act, they’re really living their part and the camera only captures what you live, So, I usually don’t prepare, I just want to be as honest as possible between ‘action’ and ‘cut’, After that, I’m a different person,” he concluded,