Director Rohit Shetty's recent Instagram post features him standing alongside IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma. The officer's life serves as a truly inspiring journey, marked by overcoming poverty and significant struggles to attain his current position. Vidhu Vinod Chopra's film, 12th Fail, is a cinematic portrayal of Manoj Kumar Sharma's life, with Vikrant Massey playing the lead role. In the caption, Rohit Shetty expressed, “Meet the real hero of 12th Fail Manoj Kumar Sharma, had the honour of working with him during covid, at that time he was serving for Mumbai police… if you have not seen 12th Fail please do watch… it's an inspiring story specially for students and youngsters.” Vikrant Massey was among the first ones to comment on Rohit Shetty's post. He wrote, “The two of you!!!” along with fire and red hearts emojis.
Ahead of 12th Fail, Vikrant Massey opened up about his own experiences of having to restart and reshape his acting career multiple times, just like his on-screen role. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Vikrant said, “All of us restart from time to time. Life is very placid and if not, then something must be wrong. It's how life goes on. Zindagi me utaar chadhav hotein hai (life is filled with ups and downs), be it personally, professionally or physically. You might restart your life at different times.”
“I had my fair share when I quit my dancing job and came to television. Then I quit television; it was a very conscious, informed decision. I wanted to give myself a chance in cinema. When I was in the cinema I was doing these menial bits. I felt I was underutilised. Then I had to start all over again to convince people to give me a chance and I did better and finally, I am here today. After COVID, my film came out,” Vikrant Massey added.
In an NDTV review, Saibal Chatterjee gave 12th Fail 3.5 stars and said, “12th Fail is an entertaining, thought-provoking version of the true story of an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The screenplay yields a completely relatable narrative. It squeezes every ounce of drama from the rough and tumble of the man's voyage without resorting to any sort of excess. 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. In the process, the account of the trials and tribulations of Manoj Kumar Sharma (Vikrant Massey in a demanding role that sees him effortlessly traverse a wide gamut of emotions) assumes the form of a classic, universal and absorbing underdog saga.”
12th Fail was released on October 27, 2023. The film is currently streaming on OTT platform Amazon Prime.
