Vidhu Vinod Chopra On 12th Fail Success: 'My Wife Said Nobody Will Watch It, Asked Me To Release It Directly On OTT'

The makers of 12th Fail organised a special fan event in Mumbai as the film completed 100 days of its release on Saturday. Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the film stars Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar, Anshumaan Pushkar, Anant Joshi, Sarita Joshi and others. Despite releasing on OTT, the film is successfully and miraculously running in theatres. 

Adapted from Anurag Pathak's book of the same name, 12th Fail narrates the story of Manoj Kumar Sharma (played by Vikrant), who triumphed over severe poverty to achieve the rank of an IPS officer. The movie sheds light on his remarkable journey and also emphasises the pivotal role played by his wife, Shraddha Joshi, an IRS officer.

During the event, Vikrant asked Vidhu to shed light on his experience of working on the film and its success. The filmmaker said, "100 days ago we had our first show and for me everything boils down to one thing which is the intention of making the film. Why are you making that film? I made an honest film and the result is in front of everyone."

Vidhu Vinod Chopra said that his wife (film critic Anupama Chopra) asked him not to release the film in theatres. He explains, "When I was making the film, I was told by everyone, including my wife, to release it directly on an OTT platform. She said, ‘Nobody will go to see your and Vikrant's film in theatres'. She also said that the film won't work because I wasn't 'connected' with movies anymore. On top of this, trade agencies wrote that 12th Fail will have an opening of Rs 2 lakh and do a lifetime business of Rs 30 lakh only. Everyone scared me."

He added that he undertook the project because of his unwavering belief in the film. 

12th Fail emerged as the surprise hit of 2023 and it raked in Rs 67 crore at the global box office. While Vikrant is being lauded for his performance, Medha is tagged as the 'national crush'. 12th Fail was co-written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Jaskunwar Kohli.