Real Kashmir Football Club is heartfelt and strong performances keep it afloat, but it's a missed opportunity to tell a wholesome tale, notes Norma Astrid Godinho.
What's new about Real Kashmir Football Club, the web series inspired by the birth of the first professional Kashmiri football club? Everything -- and yet, frustratingly, nothing.
The series dramatises the creation of the Real Kashmir Football Club, born out of the passion of journalist Shamim Meraj, who persuaded businessman Sandeep Chhattoo to invest in a professional local team at a time when Kashmiri youth needed hope, identity and purpose. Built on the familiar underdog template, the show attempts to highlight 'izzat', 'pehchaan' and 'maqsad' for a generation growing up under the shadow of militancy and distrust of the Indian military.
Presumably set in 2016, we are introduced to Shirish Kemmu (Manav Kaul), an alcohol shop owner, and Amaan (Abhishant Rana), a young man involved with local political leader Nazir Dar's (Adhir Bhat) Kashmir Youth Group.
Parallelly, Sohail (Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub), a football-obsessed journalist, quits his job before revealing his dreams of creating a professional club composed of Kashmiri players after witnessing the hype around the newly launched Indian Football League and local hero Azlan Shah's (Anmol Dhillon Thakeria) return to Srinagar after playing out his contract in Kolkata.
Much of the early narrative follows Sohail's struggle to find an investor, convince Kemmu, secure a training space and scout players.
The series frequently detours into subplots: Political protests, curfews, domestic tensions, internal issues among players and turf battles between players and leaders. While these are rooted in Kashmir's socio-political reality, their execution feels forced. Like the sequence where three players land in police custody for arguing with traffic cops while the chief minister's cavalcade zooms past, Dar tries to exploit this to his advantage, using his friends in the press to drive an anti-Kemmu sentiment in Srinagar.
As the background stories of the players unfold, the writing remains one-note. Coach Mustafa Durrani (Mu'azzam Bhat) builds his tactics around Dilshad Baig, while Sohail chases Azlan in hopes of giving RKFC 'star value'.
Azlan and Mustafa's unresolved friction drags until it explodes during a Delhi tournament, prompting Azlan's exit and his suggestion that only an international coach can take RKFC further.
There is a certain shift in pace in the writing after foreign coach Douglas Gordon (Mark Bennington) arrives in Kashmir. His presence injects energy into a narrative that until then moves in one gear. Bennington lights up the screen, bringing the first real sense of momentum to the team's journey.
The relationship dynamics, particularly between Sohail and Kemmu, and between Sohail and coach Mustafa, show flashes of depth, but the script never fully explores them. Many characters, especially players other than Dilshad and Amaan, remain shallow sketches. Dilshad and Amaan are the only male characters whose journey truly suggest transformation.
Mu'azzam Bhat is excellent in lending Mustafa dignity and vulnerability, especially in moments where he confronts his own limitations.
Interestingly, the three standout female characters manage to create impact despite limited screen time and are written with more clarity and integrity than most of their male counterparts.
Sameena (Dilshad's sister) stands firm in her beliefs, refusing to bow to societal pressure. Ghazal Mir (Priyanka Chauhan) is convincing as Sohail's exhausted wife, carrying the financial and emotional weight of the household while her husband chases his dream. Nikhaar Khullar, in a brief but memorable turn as journalist Nighat Qureshi, adds depth that several male characters lack.
There are moments to enjoy but at times the drama feels stretched, and the thrill expected of a sports series is conspicuously missing. Only after Douglas' arrival does the series shift into second gear.
The direction by Rajesh Mapuskar and Mahesh Mathai is sincere but uneven, unable to bind the many narrative threads into a compelling whole. With actors of this calibre and the inherently inspiring journey of RKFC -- which made it to the I-League in 2018 -- the show should have delivered far more.
Chhattoo is no longer around, but a documentary might have served this story better, offering more real accounts from those who built the club.
Real Kashmir Football Club is heartfelt and strong performances keep it afloat, but it's a missed opportunity to tell a wholesome tale.