SRINAGAR: A story that began on Kashmir’s football grounds has now travelled to one of television’s biggest international stages.
Sony LIV’s “Real Kashmir Football Club”, inspired by the true story of Jammu and Kashmir’s first professional football club, has been nominated for the 2026 International Emmy Awards in the Drama Series category.
The series, which premiered in December 2025, has been recognised alongside the UK’s “A Thousand Blows”, France’s “Carême” and Argentina’s “Menem” in the category.
Starring Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Manav Kaul, the drama follows two men who come together with the ambition of building a professional football team in Kashmir. Their journey unfolds against a landscape where football is deeply woven into local life, turning the pursuit of a team into a larger story of resilience, community and hope.
For Ayyub, the nomination is also a recognition of the people whose experiences inspired the story.
“It is always special to see our labour of love reach people and receive recognition. This was an important and relevant story for us to tell, a story of resilience, courage and hard work,” he said in a statement.
The actor dedicated the recognition to the people of Kashmir and expressed hope that the nomination would take the story to a wider audience.
“I hope this nomination helps the story travel further and reach a wider audience,” he said.
Show-runner and co-director Mahesh Mathai said the international recognition was particularly meaningful for a story that had taken considerable effort to bring to the screen.
“When you come across a great story, don’t let it pass you by, grab a hold of it, nurture it, love it, and push it through that long tunnel. It will find the light,” Mathai said.
“We are honoured that this special series has found global recognition through an Emmy nomination,” he added.
The series is produced by Jaya Entertainment and Oshun Entertainment. Its ensemble cast includes Abhishant Rana, Muazzam Bhat, Priya Chauhan, Anmol Thakeria Dhillon, Afnan Fazli and Shaheem Bhat.
Filmmaker Rajesh Mapuskar serves as co-show-runner alongside Mathai, while the screenplay was written by Mathai, Simaab Hashmi, Dhruv Narang, Danish Renzu and Umang Vyas.
“Real Kashmir Football Club” was released on Sony LIV on December 9, 2025.
