12th Fail review: Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar pass with distinction in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's emotional, inspiring tale

Director- Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Cast: Vikrant Massey, Harish Khanna, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Sanjay Bishnoi, Medha Shankar, Anant Vijay Joshi, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Anshumann Pushkar, Sarita Jha, Geeta Sharma Aggarwal

Where To Watch: Theatres

Ratings: 3 stars 

UPSC is arguably the toughest exam in India. Every year, the result of the prestigious exam makes front page headlines of leading dailies with several success stories. These are stories that motivate you, inspire you, or tug at your heart. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail tells the story of one such UPSC aspirant, who fights against all odds to achieve his dream. And with the maser director at helm, the does a very good job at both inspiring and touching an emotional cord.

12th Fail narrates the story of an underprivileged boy Manoj (Vikrant Massey) from a small town in Chambal, who fails his 12th Boards. However, Manoj decides to take the Board exam next year without cheating and clears the exam with distinction. He then decides to leave for Gwalior with his grandmother’s savings to clear PCS and become a ‘vardiwala’. But, he soon finds himself robbed of his money, hungry, and alone in a new city. As luck would have it, he meets someone who explains to him how UPSC can pave his way to becoming a ‘vardiwala’ of an even standing post than PCS. Then begins the drama where sweet-smiling Manoj works side by side and burns the midnight oil under the guidance of his mentor (Anshumaan Pushkar) and his friends (Anant Joshi) to clear the UPSC exam and fulfill his grandmother’s dream.

Vikrant Massey has put copious amouts of skin darkening makeup to come across as an impoverished man from Chambal. But that is the only blemish of his portrayal of Manoj. His grip on every emotion from love to heartbreak, from sadness to frustration is spot on and not melodramatic at all. he makes the protagonist relatable. His prformance in the film is so powerful that they will make you cry on a few occasions. I won’t call it his best performance because, in my opinion, he was better in Haseen Dilruba and Mirzapur, but he is definitely quite faithful to the character and shines out to be the bonafide actor he is. 

Other than Vikrant, the actors who stand out for me are Medha Shankar as Shraddha, who holds Manoj’s hand throughout his journey. Medha’s performance makes Shraddha her the most natural character in the film. In parts, she even overshadows the more accomplished and experienced Vikrant. Sarita Jha is fiery and savage as Manoj’s grandmother and Geeta Aggarwal Sharma will definitely make you cry with her performance as Manoj’s hardworking and super-emotional mother. Anant Joshi is excellent as the narrator of the film and Manoj’s friend, but my favorite do-gooder was Anushman Pushkar, who played the role of a failed IAS aspirant and Manoj’s mentor. He brings to the film the much needed optimism of a man who never loses hope even in the toughest of situations and becomes a source of motivation for everyone watching the film. 

While the film inspires you with heart-touching performances and hard-hitting dialogues, it also has its own set of flaws. The film has a very slow start and by the interval, you do feel bored because some moments in the first half are too exaggerated making it difficult to maintain your focus. The real drama begins in the second half and thankfully the story picks up the pace. With most crucial parts of Manoj’s journey shown after the interval, the film starts getting interesting but it feels that after the interval, the film ends in the blink of an eye.

The film is far from Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s best work, but it sure is one of the most emotionally strong stories of recent times. At a time when Bollywood has largely stopped making real, relatable dramas that can inspire and touch you at the same time, the film comes as a breath of fresh air. The story of every character in the film teaches you a small but valuable lesson. Vikrant Massey and Medha Shankar’s power-packed performances in the underdog story will leave you spellbound. Not only students or working professionals but every human being who has gone through a number of obstacles in their journey. That resilience will resonate with everyone and this is what makes it a must-watch. 

Read 12th Fail early reviews out: Netizens hail Vikrant Massey, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘inspiring’ film, call it flawless