Review Of The 12th Failure: Vikrant Massey Excels On The Performance Sheet
Tales of the “underdog” have a very unique quality. It is inevitable that you will support and cheer on your hero. However, this idea has frequently been overdramatized and underappreciated. Thankfully, the intensity and emotions in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “12th Fail” are appropriately real and nuanced.
The film, which is based on an Anurag Pathak novel, stars the incredibly talented Vikrant Massey as young Manoj Kumar Sharma, a Chambal native who aspires to be a police officer. He is a 12th grade dropout who is preparing for the UPSC examinations and hopes to serve his country. However, when he decides not to cheat on his board examinations, his journey takes a sharp turn.
The movie explores the themes of courage and hope despite seemingly incongruous circumstances via Manoj, a hero who chooses to get back up after every setback. Manoj states, “To accept what’s happening as your ‘kismat’ is the worst thing one can do,” in a moving sequence in the movie. And that’s the main idea behind “12th Fail.” It is about standing up for what you believe in and not letting go of your upbringing’s values.
The narrative is straightforward but powerful and thought-provoking. Similar to Manoj, the film’s genuineness is evident in every shot and scene, which has been painstakingly assembled to maintain the story’s authenticity. The film tells an impactful story without resorting to any “filmy” effects by using actual students, genuine locales, and the realities of the educational system. The movie’s running time was, in my opinion, its sole drawback. It would have been easy to trim a two and a half-hour film to about fifteen to twenty minutes to make it more concise.
Because Manoj is such an idealist, Vikrant strangely seems most appropriate for the part. As Manoj, Massey has given his best performance to date. Being an idealist and acting like one are two very different things; Massey walks this fine line without ever overacting. Manoj has an air of purity since he is naive and lacks experience. It is hardly surprising that Manoj has this “steel-like confidence” given that he was raised by his idealistic father. That Vikrant does the entire film by himself is admirable. He never loses contact with Manoj, and he can’t stop gushing about how talented he is as an actor.
As Manoj’s partner Shraddha, Medha Shankar plays a distinct role as well. She serves as the movie’s crutch at its brighter moments. The story keeps its interest without getting trite or sanctimonious. Chopra also uses the tales of other people, including Manoj’s guru Gauri Bhaiya and friend Pandey, to examine many facets of our educational system.
Chopra’s straightforward yet powerful talks emphasize the difficult realities that confront students, the dishonest system, and the difficulties associated with achieving power and knowledge. Even in the face of these challenges, the movie never wavers in its commitment to the values of resolve and conviction.
“12th Fail” also use music in a novel way to advance the plot. The accompanying music naturally gives the images more emotional depth. Sometimes you just want to hum along when you hear the word “restart” in BG. That is the result. You’ll find yourself cheering for the underdogs, like Manoj!
“12th Fail” is an essential film!
