Watch Trailer12th Fail Movie Review: Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail is one of those films that reminds you of why more and more millennials and Gen-Z audiences prefer OTT over theatres. This might sound like a not so refined cinema viewer talking but OTT, unlike theatrical experiences, lets you watch your content at 1.5x speed. And a film like 12th Fail needs to be watched at that pace. It’s a film that should begin more than half an hour from the point where it actually begins. Yes, at 147 minutes, it’s excruciatingly long. It deviates from its crux far too often and by the time it finally picks up, it’s a little too late. And mind you, Chopra was at the editor’s table for this offering too.
12th Fail opens with a scene featuring a humble home in a hamlet in Chambal in 1997. The first half hour or more is spent in establishing the protagonist’s background and character and you might keep forgetting the central narrative of 12th Fail. We get a glimpse into what made Manoj Kumar Sharma a morally upright and ethical boy despite growing up in an environment that abounds in bribery, cheats and corrupted minds. When he realises that being virtuous is the only way to be, he takes a train to Gwalior to pursue Provincial Civil Service to become a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
But as luck would have it, his plan doesn’t quite come to a fruition and he travels to Delhi when he learns about UPSC exams and decides to give it a shot. Thus begins his relentless pursuit to clear the exam and become an IAS officer. In this journey, he befriends a couple of other UPSC aspirants and meets the love of his life, who also wants to bring about a change in the country. In a nutshell, 12th Fail boasts of a rather fresh and novel screenplay.
But it’s packed with far too many events and sub-plots which don’t really render any meat to the key plot. Manoj’s struggle and rise from the rags is heart-wrenching. There are some scenes that will swell up your eyes. However, they are far and few. While the film is set in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, at one point, you will feel like you’re watching a Hindi daily soap with extremely dramatic and maudlin music playing in the background. What may also tick you off are its preachy and moral lesson laden dialogues.
In fact, the entire screenplay is rich in verbosity. In the first half, a lot of conversations happen in the local language of Chambal and is undecipherable for most of the audience. Needless to say, a lot is lost in translation. A lacklustre screenplay is 12th Fail’s weakest link and nothing else can make up for it, not even Vikrant Massey’s stupendous act.
Chopra, however, deserves credit along with cinematographer Rangarajan Ramabadran for capturing the essence, grime, grit and hustle of Mukherjee Nagar with aplomb. For the unversed, north Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar is famous for being a hub of coaching centres for UPSC aspirants. The whole film has a veil of grey and sepia looming large and that perfectly conveys the mood of the narrative. Once known for making films with memorable music, Chopra misses the mark when it comes to the melody quotient of 12th Fail. Sadly, there isn’t one track that will stay back with you.
Massey as Manoj is the beating heart of the film. He brings a rare vulnerability, honesty and earnest dignity to his character. However, the other loopholes in the film dilute his efforts. Massey gives Manoj his all. His determination to play the part to a T and Manoj’s gumption become one. He lets his eyes do a lot of the talking. Watching him fail and fall and then rise like a phoenix tugs at your heartstrings and make you root for him through and through. What’s unfortunate is watching an actor of his calibre trying his best to elevate an otherwise mediocre screenplay without any success.
Medha Shankar makes a confident debut with 12th Fail and her Shraddha shares a rather genuine chemistry with Manoj. Her character is beautifully written with a whole lot of nuance. However, the love story isn’t properly established and gets nipped in the bud. Many a times, you’re left wondering as to how their relationship deepened so quickly and what makes them go against the tide to root for each other.
Anant Vijay Joshi, who was seen in Kathal earlier this year, has an under-cooked character and has a rather flat arc until the very end. But as mentioned earlier, impatience will take over you by the time the second half begins and you might not have it in you to grapple with how the characters’ journeys come to a climax. Anshuman Pushkar and Priyanshu Chatterjee are quite impressive.
Once known for his distinctive style of storytelling and weaving intricate and complex narratives laced with socially relevant themes, Chopra doesn’t quite live up to expectations with 12th Fail. Much like his last directorial Shikara, this film too misses the mark and fizzles out. Sometimes, it’s not enough to just tell a tale. Times have changed and the need for nuance and edge has become paramount. To cut to the chase, its simplistic approach and treatment stops 12th Fail from soaring. But just like Manoj’s unwavering hope and resolve to achieve his dreams, here’s also hoping for the old Chopra who had redefined Hindi cinema to be back without much ado!
