Vikrant Massey-starrer cleaves close to ground reality, with characters that makes you feel that they’ve wandered off the street, dishing out life-lessons laced with dollops of inspiration.

A warm, if sentimental, paean to the idea that success in India, despite endemic corruption and the caste system, can still be achieved through meritocratic means.

12TH FAIL is a nicely told, touching underdog success story. Well played and technically at a high level. But it also focusses a bit too much on its inspirational note and I struggle to fully accept its message and worldview.

[The movie loves romanticising struggle and is] willing to glorify everything and be like keep struggling — his motto is 'repeat, repeat.' What do you mean [by] repeat? For what objective? To what end?