Real Kashmir Football Club gets International Emmy nomination; Manav Kaul calls it a ‘personal win’ – All you need to know about the web series
Published: September 24, 2026, 7:50 AM IST
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Real Kashmir Football Club (PC- Twitter)
SonyLIV’s Real Kashmir Football Club has received an International Emmy nomination in the Drama Series category. Starring Manav Kaul and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, the series is inspired by the real-life story of the Real Kashmir Football Club and follows two men who come together to build a professional football team in the Valley. The nomination has brought international attention to a story that combines football, Kashmir and the lives of its peopleThe series looks at how sport can bring people together while also exploring the personal struggles and difficult past of those living in the Valley.
Manav Kaul reacts to International Emmy nomination
Manav Kaul, who plays one of the lead roles in the series, was in Paris when he received the newsSpeaking to Hindustan Times, the actor said the nomination came as a surprise and that he immediately reached out to the team. “I just got the news, just a few minutes back and I’m just messaging and congratulating the entire team because they’ve worked really hard,” he said, adding that the news had not yet fully sunk in.
Kaul recalled how he first learnt about the nomination“I just got a message and someone congratulating me, and I said, why are you congratulating me? He said, oh, because your series like is part of like the International Emmy AwardsMy God, such a feeling,” he said.
The actor then informed director Mahesh Mathai about the nomination“I messaged Mahesh then and thereHe called me and said, ‘No, you’re jokingIt must be something, you know.’” Kaul then assured him, “Listen, this is on official Emmy pageIt’s trueI then told him that I’m in ParisLet’s cheers and enjoy this news”, he told the portal.
This year, only two Indian projects have received International Emmy nominations — Vir Das’ Fool Volume in the Comedy category and Real Kashmir Football Club in the Drama Series categoryKaul described the recognition as a major moment for Indian content. “It’s a big achievement seeing only two Indian projects have been recommended this yearIt’s a huge win-win for India, I would say for that matter,” he said.
Talking about the international competition, he added, “A series has been nominatedYou know, how many amazing series are there in the world right now? Like people are doing such amazing stuff in the entire worldAnd your series is one of them being selectedIt’s huge.”
Manav Kaul says Real Kashmir Football Club deserved more recognition
Kaul said the nomination also feels personal because he believed the series deserved a wider audience. “I feel it’s a personal win, seeing that I always felt that this project did not get its due credit and it deserved much more viewership than what it gotAnd now I hope it reaches the masses,” he said.
What is Real Kashmir Football Club about?
Real Kashmir Football Club is inspired by businessman Sandeep Chattoo and journalist Shamim Meraj, who founded the real-life football club. The series follows Sohail, played by Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, and Shirish, played by Manav KaulSohail is a journalist who has become disillusioned with his profession, while Shirish is an entrepreneur who returns to Kashmir after leaving the Valley following attacks on the Pandit community.
The two come together with the aim of building a professional football clubThe story also explores their personal struggles, the love for football in Kashmir and the difficult experiences of people living in the Valley.
At its core, Real Kashmir Football Club is about more than footballIt looks at how two people try to create a sense of community through sport while dealing with the Valley’s complicated past and searching for hope in the present.
