Mumbai: Nearly a year after its release, Vikrant Massey’s biographical film “12th Fail” makers recently held a special screening in the Supreme Court of India. The screening provided a rare opportunity to interact with an audience that deeply connected with the film’s compelling message, which depicted the journey of those who strive to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud attended the screening, as did judges, 600-plus Supreme Court officials, and their families. Vidhu Vinod Chopra directed, produced and wrote the film based on Anurag Pathak’s 2019 nonfiction book about Manoj Kumar Sharma, who rose from extreme poverty to become an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.
An exclusive interaction between CJI and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma, IRS Officer Shraddha Joshi, and lead actors Vikrant and Medha Shankar followed the screening.
In conversation with the team of the movie, Justice Chandrachud said: “Where we all seek inspiration, our society flourishes on hope, and each one of you has provided that– not just for this evening but for the whole nation. We need stories of real people who have shown exemplary motivation by rising above their circumstances, and these stories must be conveyed to society at large. I believe every member of our staff family will be truly inspired to encourage their sons, daughters, friends, and mentors them to lead the nation to new heights.”
‘Such films enable and inspire us to do something better every day of our lives for people around us. My compliments to Vidhu for the way he has transformed this real-life story on the screen. Both Vikrant and Medha have done a brilliant job. They have fully embodied the lives and environments of their characters and made it such a part of their existence while doing the film. I could feel that,’ he said, expressing his pride in the team’s work.
‘There were moments in the movie when I thought I’d need a hanky as my eyes were moist. This film conveys such a strong message of hope. On behalf of the entire staff and my colleagues at the Supreme Court, I’d like to thank the team of ’12th Fail’ for taking the time to spend the evening with us,’ he concluded, highlighting the emotional connection the audience felt with the film.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra commented: “This was one of the most pleasant evenings of my life. Because I was watching the film sitting next to a man (Dr Chandrachud) who understood everything I tried to say in the film. He made me feel that spending five years of my life on this film was worth it. I am grateful to all the esteemed judges and members of the Supreme Court who found time to join us. It was a magical evening.”
The film also stars Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar and Priyanshu Chatterjee in pivotal roles. It was released theatrically on October 27, 2023.
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–IANS
