'Real Kashmir Football...' review: SonyLIV show is watchable but uneven
What's the story
SonyLIV's Real Kashmir Football Club is a sports drama series comprising eight episodes. Inspired by a true story, it focuses on the power of ambition, hope, and resilience. The show follows two men who surrender themselves to the dream of building Jammu & Kashmir's first professional football club. Well-acted and well-shot, the show is sincere, but it suffers from pacing issues.
Plot
Two men join hands to create history
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub plays Sohail Mir, a journalist and sports enthusiast who decides to build a football club from the ground up in Kashmir. He has no backing and naysayers surround him, but that never dims his light. His dreams finally take flight when he meets a Kashmiri investor named Shirish Kemmu (Manav Kaul), and they decide to change Kashmir's sports landscape forever.
#1
Transports you to Kashmir within minutes
Directed by Mahesh Mathai (Bhopal Express) and Rajesh Mapuskar (Ferrari ki Sawaari), the show captures Kashmir's scenic beauty in a way few projects do. From the streets to the marketplaces, the series aims to portray a different, unseen aspect of the resilient state. Additionally, the characters feel believable, and you sense the players' anxieties when they realize they're trying out for an amateur club.
#2
Kaul and Ayyub are dependable leads
Kaul, a Kashmiri, has been making some interesting choices lately. After Baramulla, this is yet another project that features him as a Kashmiri Pandit, and he has no trouble slipping under the character's skin. He and Ayyub, who plays an overly committed, resilient man, have a solid partnership and are consistently watchable together. Sohail's fire meets Shirish's vision, and the club is born.
#3
Directors etch out the players' lives well
Instead of keeping the underdog players in the background, the show casts a spotlight on them. We see their lives beyond the football field, their overwhelming responsibilities, and the hindrances that threaten to cut short their dreams. Mark Bennington (RRR, Rocket Boys) brings another flavor and perspective to the show as an English coach who warms up to the team within days.
#4
However, it doesn't win you over completely
Unfortunately, Real Kashmir Football Club is plagued by several issues that repeatedly take us out of the show. For instance, nearly all resolutions are too convenient, and whenever a new conflict emerges, you know it will be solved within minutes. The show seems in a hurry to tie up all ends, and the quick resolutions push you away from the narrative.
#5
Seems to meander every now and then
The series picks up pace in the last two episodes, but before that, it feels sluggish and flat. Events happen one after the other without leaving any impact, and the show's tendency to overstuff itself with subplots becomes apparent. The conflicts seem half-baked and uninteresting, and thanks to repetitive scenes, the episodes are much longer than they should be.
#6
More on the above aspect
Another problem is that the makers don't allow the show to breathe and bloom slowly. In the first episode itself, they are too eager to get the story started, so it feels like we're watching Sohail build his team without even knowing him fully. Plus, it takes most characters only one conversation to make life-altering decisions, so the stakes never feel high.
Verdict
Watchable, but could have been better; 2.5/5 stars
SonyLIV boasts several shows rooted in reality (Scam 1992, Rocket Boys, Maharani, and The Hunt, etc), and RKFC takes that legacy ahead. Bolstered by Ayyub and Kaul's strong performances, it could be a delightful treat for football enthusiasts. However, the unexciting execution and the drab narrative emerge as major drawbacks, stopping the show from reaching its true potential. 2.5/5 stars.