- Zeeshan Ayyub says Real Kashmir FC’s International Emmy nomination has given him “much-needed confidence”.
- The actor says the series showed Kashmir from a different perspective.
- Ayyub says the show did not reach as many viewers as the team had hope
The International Emmy nomination for Real Kashmir Football Club has given Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub a much-needed confidence boost, the actor said, adding he is still trying to take in the news and is happy that the series has received international recognition.
"I just landed actually, I'm still absorbing the news," Ayyub told Hindustan Times. He said he had been receiving congratulatory messages from producer Kilian, director Mahesh Mathai and co-actor Manav Kaul.
The 42-year-old said the team knew the series had been submitted for the Emmys, but they didn't know whether it would finally get a nomination. Ayyub called the nomination a "huge honour". "I'm still trying to grasp the reality. It's an extremely respectable thing," he said.
According to Ayyub, the team never made the series thinking that it would receive an international award. "When you are making a show, you just want to make the best show that is possible in those circumstances," he said.
The actor said the series had not reached as many people as the team had hoped. However, he said the response from those who watched it made the effort worthwhile. "It was really unfortunate that it wasn't seen. It didn't reach the masses as we had hoped it would, but the kind of reviews, from whoever saw it, was what made it worth it," Ayyub added.
Ayyub said one of the main things that made Real Kashmir Football Club different was the way it showed Kashmir.
He said Kashmir is often seen through stories about violence, terrorism or romance. The series, however, tried to show another side of the region and its people. "All of us were hopeful, and we knew that we have made something which is kind of universal," he added.
The Emmy nomination comes shortly after another achievement for Ayyub. His project Our Share of Sand won the Audience Choice Award at the Venice Film Festival. The actor described the past 10 days as overwhelming and said the two recognitions have come at a very special time for him.
"This recognition has given me the much-needed confidence. I have been doing projects like this for many years. I believe that this story should reach the audience globally," Ayyub said.
Ayyub also spoke about how Indian films are getting international recognition. He pointed to the success of Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light at Cannes and Shaunak Sen's All That Breathes, which premiered at Cannes and was later shortlisted for the Oscars.
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