On this World Teacher’s Day, which is celebrated globally on October 5, an interesting trivia has come to light about director Vikrant Massey’s ‘12th Fail’. For a critical role of a teacher in the film, Vidhu Vinod Chopra has chosen a real-life professor and mentor, Vikas Divyakirti, who has guided countless students in their pursuit of clearing the Union Public Service Commission’s entrance exam - including the real Manoj Sharma, who’s life has inspired the film.
In the recently unveiled trailer of ‘12th Fail,’ Vikas Divyakirti makes an impactful appearance, delivering a profound message to UPSC students. He emphasises that a student’s journey should not end with getting a position in the civil services, but they should strive to bring meaning to that position.
Vikas Divyakirti is widely recognised and respected for mentoring students for the rigorous UPSC examination. Now, he joins a select group of individuals who have played themselves on the big screen.
Reflecting on his experience of portraying a professor on the silver screen, Vikas expresses his gratitude, stating, “This is a historic occasion. Perhaps for the first time, Hindi cinema has tried to touch the pulse of Hindi society at such a deep level. The story of Manoj Sharma, who became IPS despite once failing in 12th class, actually shakes every person who has accepted failure as his destiny in life. The film forces him to give himself another chance, to ‘restart’ his journey!”
The trailer has glimpses of the protagonist’s journey from a small village in Chambal to the bustling nerve-centre of UPSC preparation in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar. Based on a real story, the movie draws from the gritty struggles of millions of students who attempt the UPSC entrance exam. But at the same time, it goes beyond that one exam and encourages people to not lose heart in the face of failures, and to keep fighting.
‘12th Fail’ is set to release worldwide on October 27.
