Award-winning director Ali El Arabi (Captains of Zaatari) poignant and heart-warming coming of age drama tells the story of Ashish, a reclusive young man, who dreams big, wanting to meet his idol, Messi, at the Football World Cup in Qatar.

When he lies to his family, pretending that he was chosen as India's representative for the Football World Cup, he embarks on a journey that leads him from the peaceful and sheltered bubble of his idyllic Kerala home and doting parents (Adil Hussain & Neha Dhupia) to a stadium worker job backstage, where he learns to face both himself and the world for the first time.

South Asian Heritage Month

Celebrate. Commemorate. Educate. South Asian Heritage Month is a nationally observed programme bringing communities, institutions and individuals together to explore, celebrate and deepen understanding of South Asian heritage across the UK and beyond.

Explore South Asian Heritage Month

Manchester Indian Film Festival

Manchester Indian Film Festival brings two new cinema premieres from India and around South Asia to Showroom; plus the restoration of a magnificent classic of Indian cinema.

Director Ali El Arabi
Year 2025
Language Malayalam, Hindi, English with English subtitles
Cast Neha Dhupia, Adil Hussain, Yadav Shashidhar