12th Fail

At a time when it is routine for Bollywood to make a completely hash of films inspired by true stories and real-life achievers, 12th Fail is a gentle little film that stays true to its purpose and strikes out hard in all the right directions. The film views the specific facts of one individual's experiences in the context of the general realities of an examination system while often going into granular detailing of the three-stage testing system, and the account assumes the form of a classic, universal and absorbing underdog saga.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra film is the elixir our cynical times need. Vikrant Massey-starrer cleaves close to ground reality, with characters that makes you feel that they've wandered off the street, dishing out life-lessons laced with dollops of inspiration.

Vikrant Massey has delivered his career best as Manoj, treading carefully between idealism and pretense without overplaying his role even once. '12th Fail' is a must-watch, with a sincerity visible in each frame that keeps the authenticity of the story alive.

Cinema that resonates with the gist and dedication of the people who have risen above the ashes and is made by a filmmaker who understands the nuances of a story, should never be missed. Vikrant Massey surrenders himself to a point where you forget he is an actor enacting a part. It is one of the most nuanced, political, personal, and brave movies of our times.

I found instead in 12th Fail, which should've ideally been titled Restart (its tag-line), a film about the generosity of fellow humans. That no one's really self-made. That it takes a proverbial village (literally, in this case) to script a success story. There is a sattvic quality, or sincerity that emanates from within, in Massey Sahib, hence, that's impossible to miss.

If Vikrant Massey does not win a National Award for this film, it will be unjust to an actor who has given a performance of such unalloyed brilliance. 12th Fail ticks all the boxes of the underdog-to-victor story and still gives it heart-wrenching emotional force.