When Abhishek Bachchan was asked what he thought was the biggest hit of 2023, he didn’t name Pathaan or Jawan. His pick was 12th Fail, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s latest directorial starring Vikrant Massey. Having hit theatres on 27 October, the movie, which is based on Anurag Pathak’s 2019 novel, received much critical acclaim within the industry and among a global audience. In fact, 12th Fail, which was produced on a minimal budget of Rs 20 crore according to News18, grossed an approximate Rs 60.87 crore at the box office.
12th Fail is based on the real story of IPS officer Manoj Sharma, who failed in all subjects except for Hindi in the 12th standard, but didn’t allow that to deter his dream of clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC exams). Growing up with meagre savings, Sharma resorted to odd jobs like driving a tempo and walking the dogs of affluent families to pool together the requisite tuition fees.
To Massey, playing Sharma came with a tremendous amount of responsibility. Speaking to IANS, the actor said: “We have said in the media, written on the poster, and also said in the trailer that it is based on a true story, but it is inspired by a million true stories. It represents that common man who has faced hardships. And I just had to go out there and represent my own life. I had to go out and do justice to Manoj Sharma’s life, and to do justice to Mr Chopra’s vision. It was a daunting responsibility”. Going by multiple verdicts by credible film critics, he delivered on that score, but the actor lays all the credit at Sharma’s door.
With 12th Fail now streaming on Disney + Hotstar, the movie, which stars Massey as Sharma and features Medha Shankar as the latter’s wife IRS Shraddha Joshi, is back on everyone’s mind. Before watching their story play out on screen, here’s a quick primer on how a 12th-standard fail managed to overcome every hurdle imaginable to become the Additional Commissioner of the Mumbai Police.
12th Fail: Know the real and inspiring story of Vikrant Massey’s character, IPS Manoj Sharma
Early life
Manoj Sharma was born in 1977 in Bilgaon, a small village in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district. His father worked in the agriculture department and money was short. Added to that, Sharma performed poorly in the ninth and tenth standards, passing only with a third distinction. But the real crisis arose during his board exams when he failed in all subjects except for Hindi. Considering his dream of pursuing and clearing the most competitive exam in India — the UPSC exams — next, this certainly put a pin on things for a while. However, undeterred, Sharma went on to clear his 12th standard papers on the next try and then began to prepare for something much bigger.
