On September 23, the nominations for the 54th International Emmy Awards were announced.This was a big moment for India, as the SonyLIV series Real Kashmir Football Club got a nomination in the Best Drama Series category.The team was surprised and excited, feeling really happy about the recognition.In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Simaab Hashmi, the lead writer and executive producer of Real Kashmir Football Club, talked about how the show was made, how it portrays Kashmir, the surprise of getting the Emmy nomination, the possibility of a second season, and more.
Congratulations on the Emmy nomination.
This is huge…
Thank you so much.
We are still in disbelief.Every time someone calls me to congratulate me, it takes me a little while to believe that our show has actually made it to the Emmys!It’s something you don’t expect.Someone said it's like the Oscars of TV (laughs).
How did you get involved with the show as a writer and executive producer?
I read a news article about the football club.
I was amazed to find out there was a football team in Kashmir.What surprised me even more was that a Kashmiri Pandit and a Kashmiri Muslim came together to start the team.It sounded too good to be true.I asked myself, “How did this happen?Why doesn’t anyone know about it?” I told my writer friend about the story and we thought we should do something about it.I also met a friend who ended up becoming a producer on the show – Vishakha Singh.She also played the role of Manav Kaul’s wife.She loved the idea.We didn’t know if it would become a film or a series, but we were determined to work on it.She asked me to call the owners to get the rights.
I called them, but by that time, a lot of people had called them too.
As you know, Bollywood always looks for the next big story.They said, “This person called me, that person called me.” They also said, “We are busy.Come and talk to us.” I told Vishakha that we should go to Srinagar.The next day, we were there.The owners couldn’t believe we had come.I told them, “You said to come!” This was the person whose character was eventually played by Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub.We met him and experienced the warm hospitality of Kashmir.He also introduced me to the Pandit owner, the late Sandeep Chattoo, who is no longer with us.
We kept going back and spent months there.
We heard so many stories about Kashmir from an outsider’s point of view.We knew we shouldn’t make the series until we understood what the people were really like.We stayed in people’s homes because they were so welcoming.
Later, we met Kilian Kerwin, the experienced producer of Delhi Crime.
He loved the subject and immediately said, “We are making the show.” We met a lot of platforms, but since this was a very different story, we were often told, “This doesn’t feel like a Kashmir story.” My reply was, “Exactly!That’s why it should be made.It’s not the usual Kashmir story.” It’s a story of hope, unlike the dark tales we’ve seen set in the Valley.Thankfully, Kilian believed in the idea and decided to invest in it.So, we made the show without having a platform yet.
Kilian brought in Mahesh Mathai, a legendary ad filmmaker, as the director.
He became the captain of the project and guided us throughout.Once the show was finished, SonyLIV came on board.They were great partners; Danish Khan, Saugata Mukherjee, and the whole team were very excited about the show.The rest is history, especially after the Emmy nomination.
Were Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub and Manav Kaul the original choices for the roles of Sohail Meer and Shirish Kemmu?
They were the only two choices.
Nowadays, people often say, "This guy is famous.
He has a lot of Instagram followers.Cast him." But that's not how we worked.Manav Kaul is from Kashmir.When we met him, we immediately felt he was a good fit.The same went for Zeeshan.Both are great actors, and it was surprising they had never worked together before.
They were very team players.
On set, we would come up with scenes as we went.Mahesh sir was really supportive and open.He would say, "You guys just figure it out!" Me, Manav bhai, and Zeeshan would then sit in the van and discuss, "How should we do this scene?" So, we did change some parts of the scenes.
Can you give an example of a scene that was improvised on set?
After the wedding takes place on the football ground, there's a confrontation between Manav bhai and Zeeshan about the future of the club.
That scene was quite different at first.We were unsure if it was working.While the production team was setting up the scene, Zeeshan, Manav bhai, Kilian, and I sat together and came up with a new version.Then, Mahesh sir came in and added his special touch on top of it.
How did the people of Kashmir react to the show?
I can't tell you how many people have reached out to me.
Even while we were making the show and doing our research, everyone was really happy that we were telling a story about the football club.After the show was released, several local personalities, including radio hosts, reached out to me on Instagram or somehow got my number and messaged me, "Thank you, Simaab, for showing us how we actually are!" Some even said, "The normal day-to-day life that we have has never been shown on screen before."
From the start, my idea was to know the stories from the kitchens of Kashmiris.
Their lives are just like ours, and the same goes for their joys and troubles.Of course, they have bigger problems too, but I wanted to show the human experience of a Kashmiri.The best way I can put it is that Kashmiris felt represented.
I met so many women there who are working, running businesses, and leading their families.
We have rarely seen that shown in popular culture.Even though our show is about a men's football team, each and every female character was very important.Some of them were even leading certain parts of the show.
For the first time in my life, I heard Kashmiri abuses, thanks to your show.
(Laughs) We used to hang out with a lot of Kashmiri boys.
We noticed that while talking among themselves, they would use certain words!I would ask them what they meant.They would say, "These are the Kashmiri versions of Hindi slangs!" I would note everything down.Adhir Bhat, who is also Kashmiri, wrote the dialogues and helped us find the right words to use.
How many days did it take to shoot Real Kashmir Football Club?
I know it feels like a very long show, but we finished the shoot in record time — just 55 days!
And this was despite all the football sequences, which involved a lot of different angles, setups, and cameras.One thing I learned was that shooting football is like shooting action!
Will there be a Season 2?
After all, the show ends by informing viewers that Real Kashmir Football Club had another round of success two years after the events shown in the first season, in 2018…
There are a lot of stories about the club that remain untold.
Our show came out last December and suddenly, people are now texting and calling me to say, "This is such a good show." So, I am hoping that the Emmy honor may lead us to a second season.We have plenty of stories left to tell.
I remember once I randomly told Sandeep Chattoo, "Sir, this is such a fairy tale story." He replied, "Let me correct you that this is not a fairy tale story.
Fairy tales come to an end, while Real Kashmir is forever." So, we hope to tell more stories from Kashmir.
