Rating : 4 stars on 5
The tale of the underdog is always one that engages the audience and captures their emotions. And 12th Fail, based on Anurag Pathak’s book and directed by ace director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, is an underdog’s story. The film is a departure from the films Chopra has helmed earlier and revolves around a young man, Manoj Kumar Sharma (Vikrant Massey), from a small village in Chambal, which according to mythology is a cursed land.
It’s 1997 and Manoj is set to cheat in his Maths exam but then the teachers themselves help all the students cheat to pass their 12th standard. However, a new DSP (Priyanshu Chatterjee) to the village scuttles this plan and arrests the headmaster leading to his plans of passing and getting a job go kaput. But Manoj’s dream is to pass the UPSC exam and he heads to Gwalior and his losses there take him to Delhi thanks to new-found friend Pritam Pandey (Anant Vijay Joshi). Pandey is preparing for his IPS and Manoj gets inspired to give it a shot as well.
Once in Delhi, Manoj needs to survive and earn a livelihood for his two meals a day and studies. He works as a wheat grinder and lives in the same room; he’s a cleaner at the library and also works at the tea stall. Through it all his focus is to pass the UPSC exams. Does Manoj succeed? Does he become a cop?
Vidhu Vinod Chopra, at the age of 71 proves, yet again, that his ability to weave an emotional story convincingly and keep the audience constantly engaged and invested, has only become stronger. Manoj’s story is beautifully narrated and the audience cheers him and wants him to succeed every step of the way. The English medium versus Hindi medium debate also comes to the fore showing us the inherent elitism and inter-class dynamics that is so widespread even today irrespective of how educated people are. While education is supposed to bring in egalitarianism, the film also holds up a mirror to show that it is also a divider.
Manoj Kumar Sharma may not be rich but he has great support with many people backing him and helping him succeed in his dream. We learn that honesty is still a value that is cherished and important, and solidarity is what India is about. Vikrant Massey wears his heart on his sleeve in this film and it’s difficult to conceive any other actor could have essayed the role of Manoj Kumar Sharma. We see every emotion that Manoj feels – pain, anger, happiness, love, resilience – and feel it with him thanks to Massey’s superb acting skills.
12th Fail makes us believe in our dreams and Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Vikrant Massey deserve 100 on 100 marks on this exam.
