Among the cluster of Hindi biographical releases this year, director Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘12th Fail’ introduces a fresh perspective, offering the audience a rather wholesome material to watch. While most of the biographies focus on celebrating the protagonist as a hero, the latest film’s lead character Manoj’s story is precedent to any other that has been previously accomplished.
This slice-of-life feature is about standing out in a crowd and it narrates the story of Manoj (Vikrant Massey), a native of Chambal who dreams of becoming an Indian Police Service officer. ALSO READ | DID YOU KNOW? Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘12th Fail’ Spent Nearly 5 Years Making It-DETAILS INSIDE
For his latest directorial, Chopra has drawn inspiration from Anurag Pathak’s novel Twelfth Fail, which itself is inspired by Indian Administrative Service officer Mohan Kumar Sharma’s journey. With a rather simple and linear storyline, it’s the filmmaker’s vision that truly stands out, offering the audience an insightful eye-opener with a touch of realism.
The film might get preachy in some parts, but it evokes the right emotions with the film’s basic yet effective plot device - the character’s quest.
12th Fail is unlike any of Chopra’s previous movies, including the suspense thriller Khamosh, the Mumbai gangland saga Parinda, or the Kashmiri Pandit exodus drama Shikara. The new project runs in the opposite direction of glamour or bombast.
The film is a realistic account of a young man’s attempts to overcome his improvised background, while he faces his detractors and follows his conscience while taking the highly competitive Union Public Service Commission exams. Manoj aspires to be a police officer. But, not just any cop, instead he aims to be an honest one.
Written and directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra the film features an impeccable cast that includes Medha Shankar as Manoj’s girlfriend Shraddha, Anshumaan Pushkar as his mentor, Anantvijay Joshi as his friend, Geeta Agrawal Sharma and Harish Khanna as his parents.
The film hardly makes any errors in its portrayal of Manoj Kumar Sharma’s journey. Raw, robust and full of energy, the film and its plot keep you gripped until the very end offering a roller coaster of emotions. While some parts make you clap, thanks to its dialogues, the storyline and even the characters, you are even likely to shed tears while the lead character undergoes a series of ordeal to make a better and honest man out of himself.
Vikrant Massey has once again outdone himself in terms of acting. The actor's command over his craft is truly inspiring and in an era when acting is hardly the centre point of the film, actors like these have kept hopes for good films alive. ALSO READ | 12th Fail Cast Including Vikrant Massey And Others Revisit Mukherjee Nagar To Promote The Film In Delhi
However, apart from Vikrant, Medha Shankar, Anshumaan Pushkar and the rest of the supporting cast’s performance can be easily credited to the film’s success.
On an overall scale, 12th Fail is a complete package and pitch-perfect blend of all the ingredients one requires to make a great film under Chopra’s visionary direction and writing. Effortlessly engaging, thoroughly entertaining & wholly satisfying, this biopic may not be an entirely accurate account of the events leading to Manoj Kumar Sharma’s quest, but it certainly is 21st-century filmmaking at its absolute best.
RATINGS: 4.5/5
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