Jeero ke pahiye banake
Tu aage aage badna bey
Restart, restart, restart....
👉Theoretical framework in the movie:-
There’s a beautiful scene where his brother and him are wrongly taken into custody by the police for driving their ‘Juggad’ (a self-made vehicle to ferry customers to nearby villages).
The officer instigates Manoj to get his dunali (desi rifle) for a face-off in exchange for his brother’s acquittal. Instead of choosing violence and a false sense of manhood, he approached his idol and the honest DSP of his area Dushyant Singh. When Singh tells him to come in the morning, he utters a blunt yet truthful statement that what is the point of honesty when you can’t help a poor person in need. Dushyant is moved by his determination and bravado and decides to help him out.
A small deed by Dushyant left such a massive impact on young Manoj’s impressionable mind that in that very moment he decides that he will give it his all to become an honest policeman without taking the route of cheating. Instead of following the masses, he gives his 12th exam honestly even if that entailed a third division while all his classmates scored first division via cheating.
He’s an actor in the true sense of the word and his love for the craft is evident from every role that he chooses. A humble and soft-spoken young man, he’s always a delight to watch both on and off the screen.
Elitists constitute only a small fraction of our population. A majority of India belongs to the low-income group with big dreams and goals. For a young boy belonging to a family that barely makes ends meet to dream of becoming an IPS officer, is something that is not uncommon. In real life we have seen children of laborers, auto drivers and farmers among others go on to achieve triumph only because of their hunger for success and yearning for a decent life, something which kids of rich families get automatically on a golden platter.
Manoj worked odd jobs like cleaning toilets, waitering in a tea stall, working in a library and milling flour to make meager money which helped him get tuitions and books. He would study almost 13 hours, work for 8 hours and sleep for only 3. This practice wasn’t a one-off thing, he continued doing it for years until he made his dream come true.
Parallely, we are shown a privileged boy Pritam who was the one who planted the IPS dream in Manoj’s head and supported him throughout his journey. He failed to clear the exams continuously only because he knew that he had a fall-back option - his father, a PWD contractor. The contrast between the two men is something that I'm pretty sure, most of us, have witnessed in our daily lives.
12th Fail scores high on relatability and every moment of the film keeps you gripped because you will find yourself rooting for Manoj. His wins and losses aren’t just his own because they feel personal. When he flunks his mains exam, it felt like a personal blow because one couldn’t fathom how this hardworking boy who has worked and studied day and night without caring about his health or personal life, would have to restart the entire process all over again!
From Gouri Bhaiya To DSP Dushyant Singh, play a vital role:-
Instead of making the film hero-centric, director and scriptwriter Vidhu Vinod Chopra ensured that the supporting actors aren’t just for props. Anshuman Pushkar who played the role of Gouri Bhaiya gets full attention and respect for being so selfless and kind.
A UPSC aspirant himself, once he maxes out his attempts and still doesn’t crack it, he makes it his life goal to assist those who dared to dream of becoming an officer. He not only motivates and teaches but also goes out of the way to help Manoj financially and emotionally.
It’s these little things in the film that speaks volumes about the heart and intent that the makers had behind making 12th Fail.
