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The recent Bollywood superhit film 12th Fail is now released in Telugu. The film stars Vikrant Massey and Medha Shankar in lead roles. Vidhu Vinod Chopra directed the movie. Let’s see how it is.

Story:

12th Fail is inspired by true events that happened in the life of Manoj Kumar Sharma, an IPS officer. Manoj Kumar Sharma (Vikrant Massey) is from a poor family which lives in Chambal. Manoj’s father gets suspended for being honest in his work. Manoj studies at a school where his headmaster encourages students to be involved in malpractice during the exams. DSP Dushyant (Priyanshu Chatterjee) arrests that headmaster and explains to Manoj that honesty is the most important thing in life. Manoj gets inspired by the words of Dushyant, and he starts believing that an honest officer can bring change to society. How did Manoj become successful? What hardships did he go through? This is what the film is about.

Plus Points:

The film’s story is brilliant. Penning screenplay for films like 12th Fail isn’t a piece of cake since many films have come on the same topic. Hence, it is important that the narrative is highly engaging. Vidhu Vinod Chopra skillfully comes up with a narrative that is a blend of fun and emotional aspects. He has made sure the film has a good number of gratifying moments.

Vikrant Massey is terrific as Manoj Kumar Sharma, and his earnest performance is one of the biggest assets of the film. Vikrant Massey got into the shoes of Manoj’s character effortlessly and brought his A-game to the film. Biopics like 12th Fail are challenging for actors, as the references would be limited, and things can go wrong if the performances aren’t good. But Vikrant Massey grabs our attention all the way, and this, indeed, is a game-changing film for him.

Vikrant Massey is nicely supported by Medha Shankar. How the real-life couple stood for each other through their thick and thin is well showcased. There are a handful of clap-worthy scenes in the film, but the best part was the final interview scene. Anant Vijay Joshi, Saritha Joshi, Vikas Divyakirti, and Anshuman Pushkar are good in their respective roles.

Minus Points:

12th Fail has pacing issues as the proceedings become a tad slow at times. The editing could have been crispier for higher impact. As is the case with most films of this genre, the predictability factor comes into the picture after a point in time.

The initial few minutes of the second half were dull. The conflict point between the lead pair could have been shown in a better manner. The movie emphasizes the need to have honest officers in the system, and hence, it doesn’t have any commercial elements. This might not sit well with a few. The voiceover was continuous throughout the movie, even for minute aspects. This could have been avoided, though.

Technical Aspects:

Shantanu Moitra’s songs are pretty good, and especially the Telugu lyrics were also too good. The Telugu dubbing team behind 12th Fail deserves special applause as the movie doesn’t give the feel of watching a dubbed film. Cinematographer Rangarajan Ramabadran transports us into the world of Manoj Kumar Sharma effectively. The editing could have been better. The production values are neat.

Coming to the director, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, he did a good job with the movie. The way he incorporated humor and emotions into this real-life saga is nice. A few scenes in the second half could have been better, though. The director extracted terrific performances from all the artists.

Verdict:

On the whole, 12th Fail is a sincere film that explores the tale of Manoj Kumar Sharma, an IPS officer who reached great heights in life after facing many hurdles. The movie stays true to its purpose, and the lead actor, Vikrant Massey, lives in his role. Medha Shankar, too, impresses, and her character is well-written. There are a fair number of heartwarming moments in 12th Fail. On the flip side, the pacing is slow, and at times, the film gets predictable too. If you like real-life inspiring stories, you can give this film a shot this weekend.

 

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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