'Real Kashmir Football Club': Goal attempt, not a win

A muddy football ground in Srinagar, scooter headlights doubling up as floodlights and a bunch of nervous boys wondering if this crazy dream is for real. This is the vibe ‘Real Kashmir Football Club’ runs on. Set against the ache and beauty of the Valley, the sports drama is more about saving souls than scoring goals. It is heartfelt and gently inspiring, but its low-key approach and uneven writing keep it from reaching the emotional high that a story like this truly deserves.

‘Real Kashmir Football Club’ chronicles the creation of a real-life professional football team of the Valley at a time when it is reeling under floods, conflict and chronic instability.

The story begins with Sohail Mir (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub), a frustrated journalist who no longer believes his reporting changes anything. Watching the local youth drift between anger and aimlessness, he becomes convinced that a football club could restore dignity, purpose and a future beyond politics. His search for backing leads him to Shirish Kemmu (Manav Kaul), a Kashmiri Pandit businessman whose liquor company makes him a target for conservative groups. Haunted by memories of displacement and wary of being drawn back into the Valley’s tensions, Shirish initially resists. But Sohail persuades him that the club could be a bridge between communities.

Shirish eventually agrees to fund it.

Their first trials unfold in a rundown Srinagar ground. This sequence introduces players carrying different burdens: Dilshad, torn between work and passion; Rudra, pressured by status-conscious parents; and Amaan, caught between radical influences and a desire for a better life. Together with a gruff local coach, Mustafa (Muazzam Bhat), the founders try to fashion a team amid family conflicts, political suspicion and bureaucratic hurdles.

As the club gains traction, new additions like star striker Azlan (Anmol Dhillon) and Scottish coach Douglas (Mark Bennington) bring fresh tensions. Meanwhile, Sohail and Shirish confront personal and ideological struggles of their own. The season culminates in a high-stakes match against Jammu. It is less a triumphant finale than a testament to resilience, unity and the fragile hope the club represents.

What is refreshing is that the Kashmir here isn’t just postcard Dal Lake or barbed wires and curfews. There are bylanes, bakeries, cramped homes and everyday jokes over kahwa, all observed with an almost documentary calm. The flip side is that the narrative often feels too horizontal, more like a steady hum than a build-up, so after a strong first half, the conflicts start to feel repetitive and the climax match never quite delivers the goosebumps a sports drama promises.

The directors have avoided both political messaging and over-the-top drama. Problems often get solved too quickly. Even government hurdles disappear after a couple of conversations.

If the series stands tall anywhere, it is in its performances. Ayyub is the beating heart of the show. His Sohail is earnest, tired, flawed and idealistic, and he brings a natural honesty to every scene.

Kaul is just as impressive, turning what could have been a predictable “Pandit sponsor” role into a believable, deeply human character shaped by loss and nostalgia. His visit to his childhood home is one of the series’ most moving moments, even if the writing hurries past some of his emotions.

Bhat shines as Mustafa, the local coach. His expressions reflect the weight of Kashmir and he balances dry humour with quiet sorrow. Among the younger boys, Abhishant Rana (Amaan) gets the strongest storyline and he handles it well.

‘Real Kashmir Football Club’ is not a thunderous sports drama. It’s a quiet one, built more on empathy than adrenaline. It may lack the emotional punch of ‘Chak De! India’ but offers sincerity. Finally, a heartfelt and grounded series that scores on emotion, even if it misses a few dramatic goals.