Watch This: 12th Fail is a blueprint for resilience
- rominadenicola
- Nov 30, 2025
- 2 min read
I recently watched 12th Fail, a beautiful and powerful film currently streaming on @Netflix and @Hulu. It tells the true story of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who grows up in a small rural town in Chambal, India, and fails his 12th-grade exams - a significant moment that could have ended his dreams of prosperity.
During his final year of senior secondary school, an IPS officer (a senior role in the Indian Police Service, responsible for leading police forces, maintaining law and order, and ensuring public safety across India) visited Manoj’s school and gave an unforgettable speech. He encouraged students - and even the school principal - not to cheat on exams, a practice that was common in many rural areas. That year, the principal’s bribes didn’t work on the officers, and most students failed - Manoj included.
Still, something about that IPS officer’s message stuck with Manoj - much like a paradigm shift. It planted the idea that success should be earned through merit, not shortcuts, and from that moment, Manoj set his sights on becoming an IPS officer himself.
At home, Manoj had already seen what integrity looked like. His father, a humble and honest government clerk, was punished for doing the right thing. After refusing to take part in a scam involving farming supplies meant for local farmers, he was unjustly arrested and framed by corrupt officials. These experiences gave Manoj a strong sense of right and wrong and fueled his dream to create change.
With the support of his family - his grandmother gives him her entire life savings to help him move to Delhi to study for his exams - he is off to start a new life. But when he arrives in the city, he’s robbed of his luggage and all his belongings, including the money meant to support his studies. It’s a heartbreaking moment that could have crushed his spirit, but Manoj doesn’t let failure define him. He keeps going with determination, humility, and patience.
This is not a story of instant success, it’s quite the opposite. Manoj faces poverty, pressure, failure, and deep self-doubt for years. He is physically and emotionally tested at every turn. And honestly, most people would have given up.
12th Fail is a story about believing in yourself, choosing to restart, and working through hardship with integrity. This is the kind of mindset that helps founders, small business owners, athletes, creatives, or anyone chasing a dream.
Two of my favorite quotes from the film, are spoken by Manoj and his best friend Pritam, and continue to inspire me and I hope they inspire you too:
“If you need to restart, do it. It’s better to lose in the right place than win in the wrong one.” – Manoj
“Your will is your worth.” – Pritam
Sometimes we need a reminder to look within ourselves - to restart when needed, believe in our journey, and just keep growing.
