Vikrant Massey burnt his skin prepping up to play IPS Manoj Kumar in 12th Fail: ‘Vidhu Vinod Chopra shot me without makeup’

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Vikrant revealed that when he told Vinod about the skin burn, the director suggested that they could shoot “raw.” “He said that this was a boon and now we wouldn’t need any makeup. We’d be going in raw,” the Dil Dhadakne Do actor recalled. However, he stresses that more than the physical transformation, it was the emotional journey of the character that was more difficult. “The toughest part of this journey for me, however, was the emotional weight that came with playing this character. Someone who represents the dreams of millions of Indians. To tell a real India story that would resonate with the masses,” he said.

12th Fail is a heartwarming story of failure, success,  persistence and resilience that ends on a hopeful note, leaving many inspired to not get bogged down by failure. Manoj did odd jobs and survived on a meager salary to prepare for the exam. When asked what message the film gives to UPSC aspirants like his on-screen character, Vikrant asserted that “success is incomplete without failure.” “Failure is imperative for anyone to taste success, and that’s why we rejoice so much when we hit a milestone. Also, there are no shortcuts to true success. You might have overnight success, but without substance, it will all collapse like a pack of cards,” he explained.

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In his earlier interview with the magazine, Vikrant had stressed that the film, despite being focused on the book, is inspired by a million true stories, calling it a “daunting responsibility.” “It represents the common man who has faced hardships. And I just had to go out there and represent my own life. I had to go out and do justice to Manoj Sharma’s life and to do justice to Mr Chopra’s vision. It was a daunting responsibility.