Guwahati, May 26 -- Filmmaker Khanjan Kishore Nath, who grew up in rural Assam without any deep attachment to football, has drawn inspiration from the childhood memories of friends who were passionate about the sport. Watching them play on village grounds and along dusty roads, he was struck by their unfulfilled dreams , an emotion that has now evolved into the core of his latest cinematic work.

His upcoming Karbi-language feature, Love You Messi, produced under Rura Rura Entertainment, tells the story of Rang, an eight-year-old boy from a remote hill village in Northeast India who is an ardent admirer of Lionel Messi. The child follows football obsessively, watching matches on a neighbour's television, collecting images of his idol, and...