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12th Fail is a biographical drama film that tells the true story of IPS Officer Manoj Kumar Sharma. The movie is based on Anurag Pathak's bestselling novel of the same name. The movie's narrative revolves around Manoj, who hails from a small town in Chambal. Despite facing the setback of failing his 12 standard exams, he fearlessly embraces the idea of restarting his academic journey.
The film chronicles his journey to clear the UPSC examination, widely renowned as the world's toughest competitive exam. In the story, Manoj overcomes extreme poverty and societal challenges to achieve his dream. This event inspired him to renounce dishonesty and aspire to a career in civil service.
12th Fail: Everything to know about the real-life story of Manoj Kumar Sharma
The real-life story of Manoj Kumar Sharma is portrayed by Vikrant Massey in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's film 12th Fail. Sharma, hailing from a very poor family in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, India, faced significant academic struggles early in his life. He passed his 9th and 10th class exams with a third division and failed all subjects except Hindi in his 12th class board examinations.
A pivotal moment in Sharma's life was his relationship with Shraddha Joshi during their school days. Despite his academic failures, Sharma proposed to Joshi. As Manoj proposed to Shraddha, he promised to turn his life around if she accepted. This marked the beginning of his journey towards significant personal and professional transformation.
Driven by his commitment and Joshi's support, Sharma began preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE). Throughout his preparation, his path was fraught with challenges. The impediments included financial hardships that led him to drive a tempo for income and sometimes sleep alongside beggars.
He also worked at a library in Delhi. The job at the library proved beneficial for his studies as it exposed him to the works of various famous writers and personalities. However, Sharma's perseverance paid off on his fourth attempt at the UPSC CSE. He achieved an All India Rank (AIR) of 121, leading to his appointment as an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.
Later, Sharma became known for his commanding style which earned him nicknames like Singham and Simba.
12th Fail: Where is Manoj Kumar Sharma now?
At the time of writing, Manoj Kumar Sharma resides in Mumbai, where he serves as an Additional Commissioner in the Police Force. He lives with his wife, Shraddha Joshi, who is also an IPS Officer along with their two children. In addition, Mr. Manoj uses his platform on social media to share insights into his career and family life, thereby inspiring others with his story.
"I was in tears so many times" Vikrant Massey on playing the role of Manoj Sharma in 12th Fail
In an interview with Filmfare on November 22, 2023, Vikrant Massey reflected on the profound impact that playing the character of Manoj Sharma in the film 12th Fail had on him. In the interview, he expressed how deeply he connected with the role. The connection was to the extent that the emotions and experiences of the character felt incredibly real to him.
The intense immersion in the character led to Massey experiencing genuine emotional responses during filming. Therefore, he often found himself moved to tears during and even after shooting scenes. Moreover, Massey described the difficulty he faced in detaching from the character's emotions.
The support of the director, Vinod Chopra, was crucial in helping him navigate these intense emotions. Chopra's comforting presence provided the necessary grounding that enabled Massey to regain his composure and continue with the filming.
"The character of Manoj Sharma that I played in 12th Fail has stayed with me. It all felt so real that I was in tears so many times during the shooting. In fact, sometimes, even after the take has taken place, I’m not able to compose myself for many minutes," Massey said.
He further stated:
"Then Vinod sir would come and cheer me up. He would keep his hands on my shoulders and we would go for a walk. We would walk for some time and then come back to shoot."
12th Fail is available to watch on Disney+ Hostar.
