Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Real Kashmir Football Club Earns International Emmy Nomination
Real Kashmir Football Club is a Hindi television series about building a professional football team in Kashmir.
The story is based on a real club that began after the 2014 floods.
Sandeep Chattoo and Shamim Meraj helped start the club in 2016.
The team became Jammu and Kashmir’s first professional football club to play in India’s top-tier I-League.
In the show, two men try to find players, money and support for the team.
The series also shows how football can give young people new opportunities.
It stars Manav Kaul and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and streams on SonyLIV.
The show has been nominated for a 2026 International Emmy Award and is scheduled to compete at the ceremony in New York.
SonyLIV’s Real Kashmir Football Club has been nominated in the Drama Series category at the 2026 International Emmy Awards.
The eight-part Hindi series premiered on December 9, 2025, and stars Manav Kaul and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.
The drama is inspired by the creation of Jammu and Kashmir’s first professional football club after the 2014 floods.
The real club was formed in 2016 by businessman Sandeep Chattoo and journalist Shamim Meraj, after they distributed footballs to local children.
The series will compete against productions from the United Kingdom, France and Argentina; reports differ on whether Vishakha Singh or Mahesh Mathai and Rajesh Mapuskar is credited as director.
- Who
- SonyLIV, the cast and creative team of Real Kashmir Football Club, and the real club founders Sandeep Chattoo and Shamim Meraj.
- What
- Real Kashmir Football Club has received a 2026 International Emmy nomination in the Drama Series category.
- When
- The series premiered on December 9, 2025; the 54th International Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled for November 23, 2026.
- Where
- The story is set in Kashmir, while the awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in New York.
- Why
- The series portrays the creation of Jammu and Kashmir’s first professional football club and football’s opportunities for young people in the Valley.
- Award
- 2026 International Emmy Awards
- Category
- Drama Series, also referred to as Best Drama
- Premiere
- December 9, 2025, on SonyLIV
- Format
- Eight-part Hindi series
- Real club
- Founded in 2016 after efforts connected to the 2014 Kashmir floods
- Competition
- A Thousand Blows from the United Kingdom, Carême from France, and Menem from Argentina
- Ceremony
- Scheduled for November 23, 2026, in New York
- Production
- Backed by Jaya Entertainment and Oshun Entertainment
