Zeeshan Ayyub on Shah Rukh Khan changing his mind about quitting industry: ‘That thought never came back’

(L-R) Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Manav Kaul in ‘Real Kashmir Football Club’

Put Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in any role and he owns it - yet he doesn't map out wins or losses, he tells mid-day. It's been a packed year: he opened with the Abhishek Bachchan-starrer Kaalidhar Laapata, followed by Chandan Arora's Kanneda, and Criminal Justice: A Family Matter with Pankaj Tripathi. Now, as the year closes, he returns as a coach in SonyLIV's Real Kashmir Football Club. Still close with the cast and crew a year on, Ayyub recalls meeting Shamim Meraj - the man who inspired his role, explains why sports stories matter, and how the series weaves Kashmir's socio-political reality into its theme.

Excerpts from the interview.

What drew you to your first sports drama?
After Chhalaang [2020], this is my first sports series and it's about a football club. It's based on a real life story, one I got to know only after meeting the director and producer. The fact that I didn't know anything about it actually excited me to be part of the project. It is a story of hope and inspiration.

Do you think sports-based shows can encourage people to be resilient?
I think sports is a very important part of any culture because it develops the temperament of people, especially football. I watch and love the sport a lot. In most sports, if you have one excellent player, then he/she is compensating for others. But in football, everyone has to be on their toes and play as a team. If you have even two or three weak links, your team [suffers]. Sports definitely inspires people, it also connects, and brings them closer.

Does the story resonate universally, or is it region-specific?
I think it will resonate with everyone, and it needs to. That is the beauty of this story. You can see the real people in Kashmir, their resilience, and the way sports connects them because the youth in Kashmir also face the same problems that anyone around the world faces. They are trying to do something with their lives; trying to achieve something, and earn bread for the family. They have passion and energy. The club channelises that energy and [gives the youth] a target and ambition; [it brings] respect to all of them. It is not just a story about Kashmir.

Did you meet Shamim Meraj, on whom your character is based, and did it affect your performance?
That was something unexpected. I met him at a party, but I didn't know it was him until deep into our conversation. He informed me that I was playing him in the show. When I met him, I saw a confident gentleman who knew what he was doing. But the thing is we were portraying the character very differently, which I believe was the right way to go. He is vulnerable. He is also trying to find himself through the group. He has one vision - to bring hope to Kashmir. If he fails, he gets up and tries again. It shows a common man standing up to something and becoming a hero. But the real person is confident because he has [already] achieved everything now. He was intrigued when I told him we were making him more vulnerable in the show.

How does the show represent Kashmir's socio-political conflicts?
The basic decision to base it in Kashmir brings everything automatically. When you are trying to make a club, you need youngsters to join it, and [reflect] the problems they face in joining, or after. Everything is there because of their social, political, and economic background. The disparity we show is very risky. The writers had many characters and explored them well. You will see a different Kashmir - with real people who have struggled like us.

There was a time when Shah Rukh Khan changed your mind about quitting the industry. Emotionally, where do you stand today?
Now it's absolutely fine. That thought never came back. I matured while working with him. Films will always be like this - some good, some bad. Some projects you expect from and they don't work; some you don't expect and they surprise you. Uncertainty is our life. If you can have one very good project every two years, that is great. I am emotionally stable and exploring myself more.

You've been vocal about the industry. Has it cost you?
I'm sure it must have. But I'm fine with that. I say what I believe because I love this industry. If I see scope for improvement, I'll say it. If someone asks me something, I won't shy away. I won't make reels criticising the industry, but if asked, I will say what I believe. That is how I am.

8
Number of episodes in ‘Real Kashmir Football Club'