Barefoot Boys

Follow Barefoot Boys
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

In 1911, just three decades after the sport of football came to India, a group of Bengali men sent shockwaves across the entire British Empire. The Amor Ekadosh, or “Immortal Eleven,” competing in one of the oldest football tournaments in the world, did so without boots on their feet. Unafraid to go toe-to-toe with their colonisers, they showed a country what freedom felt like–long before its citizens were free. Konkona Sen Sharma brings the remarkable story, once erased from history, to life.

Konkona | Luminary


    • Nov 7, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 16m AVG DURATION
    • 12 EPISODES
    • 1 SEASONS


    Search for episodes from Barefoot Boys with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Barefoot Boys

    The Barefoot Boys

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2023 17:43


    Mohun Bagan is the toast of Calcutta. The city burns with nationalist fervour and the British shift the capital to Delhi—away from the “bomb-wielding nationalists and barefooted footballers of Bengal.”

    The IFA Shield, Part Two

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 17:21


    All of Calcutta is decked up, and thousands throng the maidan to watch Bagan play the East Yorkshire Regiment again. 

    The 1911 IFA Shield

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2023 18:03


    No longer content with winning tournaments like the Trades Cup, Mohun Bagan set their eyes on the real prize: the IFA Shield. Sailen Bose scours the gullies of North Calcutta to identify talent, and captain Shibdas Bhaduri proposes an audacious tactical overhaul.

    The Amor Ekadosh Level Up (Again)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2023 18:13


    No longer content with winning tournaments like the Trades Cup, Mohun Bagan set their eyes on the real prize: the IFA Shield. Sailen Bose scours the gullies of North Calcutta to identify talent, and captain Shibdas Bhaduri proposes an audacious tactical overhaul.

    The Bomb Heard 'Round Bengal

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2023 18:04


    A revolutionary terrorist bomb attack on a British magistrate in Muzzafarpur goes horribly wrong. A fired-up Mohun Bagan wins their way into the IFA Shield; politics can't help but spill onto the field.

    The Bhaduri Brothers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 16:08


    With the help of the Bhaduri Brothers, the Immortal Eleven ascend the ranks—all the way to the 1905 Gladstone Cup. Bengalis from all over travel to Chinsurah in the hopes of witnessing a victory against the British neatly packaged into a football tournament.

    Kicked Into Shape

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 17:50


    Former army man Sailen Bose shakes things up at Mohun Bagan, kicking (literally) the players into shape. The British decide to partition Bengal, in furtherance of the strategy of ‘Divide and Rule,' but Bengal rises in protest. For inspiration, people begin to look to indigenous scientific innovators, nationalist writers and…footballers.

    Mohun Bagan's Palatial Origins

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2023 19:50


    Three royal families set out to find a proper setting for a football club, and find it in the Mohun Bagan marble palace. Bagan's start is rocky, but the winds of change—sporting and political—start to gather speed.

    No Boots? No Problem

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2023 15:28


    Nagendra marries into the Sovabazaar family, and starts a football club in its name. The British are baffled when the Indians show up…barefoot.

    The Father of Indian Football

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2023 19:20


    We meet Nagendraprasad Sarbadhikari, founding father of Indian football. He showed Indians that they could not only express their masculinity, but also beat the British at their own sport.

    British Conceptions

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2023 19:28


    It's 1857. British soldiers play football in the barracks of Bengal, but Bengalis—with their “delicate limbs”—aren't welcome to play ball. How could India come to be known as “the Brazil of Asia”? In this episode, we meet the Immortal Eleven.

    Barefoot Boys: Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2023 0:30


    Eleven men, playing without boots on their feet, showed a country what freedom felt like, long before its citizens were free. This is their story.

    Claim Barefoot Boys

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel