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Journalism of Courage
12th Fail, a movie based on IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma’s journey of cracking the UPSC exam, has received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. An endorsement from IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi, who shares a connection with the real-life inspiration behind the film, adds another unique perspective to Sharma’s extraordinary journey.
Rupanagudi took to social media on January 14 to share his thoughts on 12th Fail, which is based on Anurag Pathak’s novel and directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and shed light on the lesser-known aspects of Sharma’s life. Sharma is played by actor Vikram Massey in the film released last year.
The Indian Railway Accounts Service officer talks about his motivation for watching 12th Fail — a personal acquaintance with Sharma and his wife Shraddha Joshi Sharma, an Indian Revenue Service officer, during his tenure in Mumbai where they met through a common friend.
“They are a great couple, and Manoj is such a wonderful person. Of course, we did not know anything about his struggles to reach where he is now,” Rupanagudi says.
Rupanagudi recalls a specific incident during Sharma’s tenure in Mumbai. He says, “When we met at a birthday party then, he had just been posted as DCP, Zone-1, the most high-profile and prestigious police district of Mumbai, and his team had just cracked a major hawala case”.
Rupanagudi also commends Sharma’s humility and sense of humour, qualities that he says stood out during their interactions.
In a subsequent thread, the IRAS officer offers his review of 12th Fail. “Regarding the #12thFailMovie, it’s reasonably well-made with certain ‘artistic liberties’ that slightly exaggerate the UPSC examination process and efforts. Yes, it requires a lot of effort but generally, the interview panel members aren’t hostile and aren’t so judgemental,” he says.
However, Rupanagudi says he understands that “these aspects have to flow with the script”.
Rupanagudi also draws attention to how the film has tackled Sharma’s love story. The officer observes, “But the love story is very well portrayed, and from the little I have seen, Manoj is still the strongly besotted husband.”
