Real-life UPSC coach Vikas Divyakirti to play himself in '12th Fail'

The story of Manoj Sharma, who became an IPS officer despite once failing in Class 12, shakes every person who has accepted failure as their destiny in life.

An interesting trivia has come to light about director Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s upcoming movie 12th Fail, starring Vikrant Massey.

For a critical role of a teacher in the film, Chopra has chosen a real-life UPSC coach and mentor, Vikas Divyakirti, who has guided countless students in their pursuit of clearing the coveted UPSC Civil Services 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.

Divyakirti is widely recognised and respected for mentoring students for the rigorous UPSC exam. Now, he joins a select group of individuals who have played themselves on the big screen.

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 tale of Manoj Sharma, who became an IPS officer despite once failing in 12th class, shakes every person who has accepted failure as their destiny in life.

Vikas Divyakirti expressed his gratitude

The trailer features Vikrant Massey in the lead and 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 not to lose heart in the face of failures, and to keep fighting.

12th Fail, a film by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, is set to release worldwide on October 27 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.