12th Fail Movie Review, Rating

12th Fail is based on the real story of decorated IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and IRS officer Shraddha Joshi. Made by director-writer-producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the film's Telugu version has been released in theatres by Zee Studios.

Plot: 

Manoj Kumar Sharma (Vikrant Massey) hails from Chambal Valley, which is known for economic and social backwardness. Manoj's entire class fails an exam after an honest police officer prevents malpractice during the exams. On the other hand, Manoj’s father gets suspended from his government job after he stands up against corruption in his department.

After a couple of years, Manoj leaves the town to become a cop by studying for UPSC exams. Will Manoj become an IPS officer? How does he manage to clear the toughest exam by fighting all the adversities that come his way? That's what is the story all about.

Performances:

Vikrant Massey looks diligent and earnest as an underdog from a rural background. Truly, his story and how he portrays his struggle with the language barrier would be relatable to millions across the country. He did a fantastic job in the film. Shraddha Joshi (Medha Shankar) and mentor Gauri Nandan (Anshumaan Pushkar) have meaty roles in the movie, with the former winning the hearts of the audience with her cute screen presence.

We also see Priyanshu Chatterjee (as DSP Dushyant Singh), Geeta Aggarwal Sharma (as Manoj's mother), Harish Khanna (as Manoj's father) and Sarita Joshi (as Dadi) in different roles.

Thumbs up:

Vikrant Massey's performance 
Incisive dialogues 
The heart-touching climax 
The cinematography by Rangarajan Ramabadran
The music by Shantanu Moitra
The commentary the film makes about the education system in India.
Realistic locations (the film was shot in Agra, Chambal, Delhi, Mussoorie and Mumbai).
Production values.   

Thumbs down:

Slow narration 

Verdict: 12th Fail is a heart-wrenching and non-melodramatic movie. It is also inspired and is sure to go down as one of the best films of the year.

Rating 2.5/5

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