The Hindi-language film '12th Fail', which is currently streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar, has been described as a masterpiece by Netizens ever since its release. An emotional drama telling the story of an economically backward IPS aspirant and his eventual entry into the ranks of the civil services after years of struggle, the biographical drama is directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the writer of 'Munna Bhai MBBS' and '3 Idiots'.
While the performances and the writing are excellent, the film's glorification of the pursuit of the near-impossible IAS/IPS dream shouldn't mislead the gullible out there. In backward States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, literally, lakhs of youngsters waste precious productive years trying to get into the all-India and state services. Many of them sell off their family property to reach Delhi, the hotbed of IAS coaching. The success rate is not even 0.5%.
What happens to those who fail the exam? They give more and more attempts. Years and years are squandered away. Some aspirants waste 5-7 years trying to crack UPSC and state services exams. Not only do they spend lakhs of rupees during those years but also forgo many more lakhs in terms of salary or business income. Before they know it, they are 30 years old and unfit to find a good job in the private sector. They then blame the governments for not issuing enough job notifications.
It is a myth that most of them want to become IAS, IPS, IRS and IFS officers to serve society and make India a better place. Their priority is to enjoy power and privilege. Once they get into these services, they ensure that bureaucratic red tape stifles the progress of the country.
Films like '12th Fail' can be inspirational but they can also lead to delusions. Manoj Kumar Sharma (Vikrant Massey) finds a beautiful, semi-altruistic girl in the form of Shraddha Joshi (Medha Shankar) in the film. Such a thing doesn't happen in real life to eight out of ten aspirants. As a Netizen puts it, '12th Fail is the story of a lottery winner. "Many Indians still don't get it. Use your hard work and ingenuity to produce goods and services for the country. Don't use all that energy to crack a silly exam. It's a sad commentary on our dysfunctional culture, on our economy, on lack of opportunities for our youth," writes Shrikanth Krish, a columnist.
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