Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub on Craft, Politics, and ‘Real Kashmir Football Club’
In an in-depth interview, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub discusses his role in "Real Kashmir FC," how he chooses scripts, preparing for stories rooted in real places, Kashmir’s portrayal in cinema, his political voice, and the passion driving his upcoming projects.
By : Nida Mehraj
Update: 2025-12-04 13:51 GMT
From memorable roles in films like Raanjhanaa, Article 15, Raees, and Tanu Weds Manu Returns to impactful performances in series such as Tandav and Kaalkoot, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub has consistently stood out for the honesty he brings to every character. Now gearing up for Real Kashmir Football Club, he speaks to us about his approach to choosing scripts, preparing for stories rooted in real places, and the journey behind his latest role.
Excerpts from the interview:
You have played so many diverse roles in many movies and series and your characters, even if they are supporting characters, they mostly add depth in the story. So how do you choose your script and what draws you to do a movie or any other series?
I think the story matters the most. A film should be saying something that I resonate with, something I feel connected to. I always look at the intent of the director and the makers, why they want to make that film. After that comes the character: what they’re offering and how open they are to giving you space to make the character human.
If it's not well-written, you have to work more on it. If it’s author-backed, then it depends on whether they’re open to discussions. These are the basic factors before I sign a film or a show.
What do you think, how important is it to go on the ground and talk to people, especially when it is an inspired story or an adapted story, just like your upcoming series?
In general, it’s important to understand the area where the story is based, the language people speak, how they behave, how they react to situations. This is important whether it’s a biopic, a real-life story, or pure fiction, because at the end of the day, it is fiction.
Sometimes playing a character in a particular way communicates the story better than trying to copy the real person. Too much energy goes into mimicking, which I don’t agree with. What matters is communicating what you need to so that the story reaches people.
Did you meet the coaches and players who actually played at that time to prepare for the series, Real Kashmir Football Club?
No, we didn’t, because the final script has a lot of fiction. By chance, though, I did meet the person I’m playing, completely and unexpectedly at a friend’s get-together. After five minutes, I realised I’m playing him. We never met properly because he went to London, but he said he might visit the set.
We had already shot for about 20 days, so I had an idea of what we were making from that character. He’s very different from the real person, which is the fun part. I hope he likes it, he’s a great guy.
Since this movie is inspired, how much is fictionalized and how much is real?
I think Mahesh Mathai sir or the writer would answer that better. I don’t know exactly what happened. We know the broad outline and the struggles, but not the exact details, what each person faced or what their families were doing. So I’m not sure what’s fiction and what really happened. They’re the best people to ask.
From the past few years, there have been many movies and series that are shot in Kashmir. And what do you think is the reason for that, except for the J&K film policy?
Firstly, it’s beautiful. Many people go there for the serene beauty, it’s mind-boggling. The camera doesn’t even capture 30% or 40% of what it feels like when you’re actually there. It’s magical, it’s heaven.
People are making more stories around Kashmir, so it becomes part of that landscape. And big commercial films also want the aesthetics of Kashmir. If a story is based there, people try to shoot at real locations.
Many Kashmiris think that Bollywood or many other movies, they're villainizing Kashmiris. Because they think 'they are villainizing us and we are the ones who are getting most affected from this turmoil.' So what is your take?
They’re right. Too much toxicity. They’re absolutely right, and we need to apologize to them.
You are quite vocal about your political views and ideologies. Have you ever been criticized because of that?
Always.
So how do you deal with it?
I always knew something like that would happen, so it never came as a shock. We’ve come to a point where we celebrate when someone is just doing their job honestly. So if someone says something against the flow, against what everyone is following, it’s bound to disrupt a few things. I was ready for that.
What made you do this character of Sohail Mir? What inspired you?
His journey. His passion. The way he followed his dream despite everyone going against him. Then one more person joins, and suddenly two people are dreaming together and taking it further. The passion, honesty, and hard work, that was inspiring.
Since the series is all about football, are you a football enthusiast yourself or at some point?
Yes, I am. I watch football, I play FIFA also, mostly that.
Okay, so did you play while shooting this?
No, no. I’ve never played football, and I regret that. I got introduced to football properly around 2003–2004, just before NSD. I realised what an amazing sport it is and regretted not playing it earlier.
So this brings to the last question. Any other upcoming projects that you can talk about or share with us?
Anubhav Sinha’s next is releasing soon. I’m currently working with Laxman Utekar. There’s a series I shot with Prakash sir, Nana Patekar is also in it, which might release next year. There’s also a project with the British Film Institute. So around five or six projects are ready for release.
Watch the complete interview here: