12th Fail

Based on the real-life story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, and adapted from Anurag Pathak’s novel, 12th Fail is written, directed, and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film revolves around the struggles of Manoj Kumar (Vikrant Massey) in overcoming financial hardships to becoming an IPS officer, and how his wife, IRS officer Shraddha Joshi (Medha Shankar), played a crucial role in his journey. Set in Chambal, where cheating to pass exams is the norm, Manoj, a poor boy, attempts to pass his 12th grade by cheating. But a new police officer, DSP Dushyant Singh, stops the mass copying in school. Manoj finds inspiration in the DSP and dreams of becoming an officer like him. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s commitment to portraying realism and Rangarajan Ramabadran’s cinematography make the film an outstanding one to watch.