Manoj Kumar Sharma grew up in penury in the badlands of Chambal. While struggling to make a living, he is impressed by an honest cop and decides to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). His journey from Chambal to Gwalior to Delhi, the soul-crushing poverty he deals with, the odd jobs he does while attempting the various exams for IPS all make for heart-warming cinema in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail.
The film, based on Sharma’s real-life journey captured in a 2019 book by Anurag Pathak, is one of the best movies of 2023. It is also one of the