Real Kashmir football club coach David Robertson. (TOI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Srinagar-based football club Real Kashmir FC has been gaining new grounds ever since its inception. The club's performance in its debut I-League season (2018-19), where it stayed in the title race till the final round and finally finished third, was straight out of a fairytale.

Now, as an icing on the cake, a BBC documentary on Real Kashmir has earned two nominations in the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) film awards in Scotland.

The documentary has been nominated in two categories. The director Greg Clark got a nod in the 'Director-Factual' category, while the show will battle it out in the 'Single Documentary' category. The storyline of the documentary is around Aberdeen and Rangers legend David Robertson , who is the chief coach of Real Kashmir. It's about Robertson's journey from Scotland to Kashmir, and how he mentored aspiring footballers from the war-torn Valley and spurred them to gain success in Indian football.

The documentary is hour-long and was made with a shoestring budget of approximately 120,000 pounds (Rs 1 crore, 4 lakh). In comparison, another BBC documentary on English football club Manchester City required 20 times more budget.

"Despite all the unrest in the region, home matches of Real Kashmir during the I-League attracted more than 20,000 people. This documentary is about football's popularity in Kashmir and how the game unites everyone. This nomination is something to be proud of for the club," director Greg Clark told TOI.

David, who joined Real Kashmir in January 2017, was quite emotional about his journey with the club. "I do miss home - there's only so many years or so much time I can continue doing what I'm doing but there's still a lot to give," David told TOI.

"There's going to be a day when I want to go back (to Scotland) or they (Real Kashmir) don't want me or I've just had enough. But at the moment it's enjoyable, it's fun. I am the only coach they've ever had, and I think I would find it very difficult to see someone else coach the team. It's an emotional attachment to the whole thing, the whole adventure. We have had a lot of challenges to overcome and I am proud of what the club has achieved. I would hate to turn my back on them," he added.

Real Kashmir's owners - Shamim Meraj and Sandeep Chattoo - were enthusiastic over the nomination. Shamim said, "Over the last 50 days or so, Kashmir is cut off from the rest of the country. In such circumstances, this news has brought about a smile on the faces of not only us but also our players. It's a proud moment."

Chattoo shared Shamim's views. "It feels surreal when a documentary on your club gets nominated under two categories (at the BAFTA). Thanks to everyone who has watched it," he said. "Recently we played a pre-season match against ISL club Jamshedpur FC in Jamshedpur and held them to a 3-3 draw. Many players of our team got to know about it (the nomination) after the match. Our Kashmiri players have been on the road. We in the management try and make sure they get news about their families. They're happy that the world (through the documentary) has got to know about the club and them."

