As soon as the film opens, you realize how different it is from a Vidhu Vinod Chopra 12th Fail movie. It is not a poetic gangster movie, a crime drama, or a period piece.

Instead, it tells the story of a 12th-fail student who, through sheer persistence and a “never-say-die” attitude, succeeds in the UPSC exam and becomes an IPS officer.

I wouldn’t have known better, but I would have assumed it was a Rajkumar Hirani movie. I’m certain he would call it “12th Pass”.

12th Fail Review

12th Fail Review: There are no spoilers in this book, as it is based on a real-life account of Mohan Kumar Sharma. Ashok Pathak wrote the story. Mohan’s trip from the Chambal wilderness to the Capital’s UPSC Building may have taken less time.

In every other way, however, the two places are on completely different planets. Just the idea of a young ‘Hindi-medium’ man from a modest background attending a school where teachers’ help their wards pass exams’ is enough to make you blink with disbelief.

How did this lad with no money and little worldly experience manage it? It is primarily down to Vikrant Massey’s absolutely convincing playing of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who comes from a tiny hamlet in the infamous once-ridden-by-dacoit area in Madhya Pradesh and stays the tough cyclic course of failure and success, so familiar to those who have gone through the ‘civils’ grind.

The faces of the film include Medha Shankar, his supportive girlfriend, and Anantvijay, his helpful friend. Anshumaan Pushkar, the UPSC exam giver with UPSC aspirants, and Priyanshu, the straight-arrow cop who becomes his hero, make you believe.

Above all, it is the carefully calibrated writing, which stays relatable, even when the film dips into the realm of how-can-this-be-true:

Have you ever heard of a hopeful staying in a room with a super-noisy ‘atta-chakki’, working through the day, and studying through the night, and managing to get through the prelims? The real-life Mohan was the same as the fictional Manoj.

View the 12th Fail Movie Trailer Here

This film marks the 45th anniversary of Chopra’s career as a director and producer. Its sweetness of spirit combined with a strong streak of realism makes it stand out from Chopra’s other filmography, which includes some of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

You know that some locations are set, some characters are highlighted, and some situations are heightened, but you still enjoy the film.

The film is realistic, even with the music and mood swings. It has characters who make you feel like they are just walking down the street and have come to visit us. They share life lessons and inspire.

The main actors are not the only ones who make up the cast. Many young people congregate in coaching centres like North Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar.

All these youngsters, packed into small rooms far from their homes and cramming all night to pass the exams, tell a story of India.

Some portions are sagging, and it took me a while to understand that Shraddha was convinced that Manoj was more intelligent than he was. It would have been obvious the moment Manoj opened his mouth.

The voiceover is also a very tired technique: why highlight things we can see ourselves? The inspiring story of Manoj Kumar Sharma is the balm we need in these cynical days.

His success is not his alone but that of everyone who helped him get there. Naive? Maybe. Sometimes, naivety that leads to hope against hope is what we need during these difficult times. You can also be honest and get to the top and stay there.

12th Fail Movie Cast

Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar, Anantvijay Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Geeta Agarwal Sharma, Harish Khanna, Vikas Divyakirti

12th Fail movie director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

12th Fail movie rating: 3 stars

12th Fail Movie Box Office Collection Day 1

Vikrant’s film Tejas, starring Kangana Ranaut in an aerial action film, opened in cinemas on Friday. Trendsmyth.com shared early estimates that the 12th Fail box office collection day 1 is Rs1.1 crore net. According to the portal, on Friday, the film had a Hindi occupancy of 9.09 per cent and a Kannada occupancy of 6.5 per cent.

The novel by Anurag Pathak, 12th Fail, is based upon the story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma’s journey with IRS officer Shraddha Joshuai. Vikrant Masey and Medha Shakar are the main protagonists of this movie. Vidhu Vinod Chopra is the director.

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