'12th Fail' nearly missed OTT release, reveals Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra shared that an OTT platform dropped his film 12th Fail, saying they "don't have funds."
At IFFI, he recalled being told, "Aise log toh hain hi nahi sir ab (Such people don't exist now)," to which he replied, "I don't know if there are more such people or not, but you can see at least one sitting right here!"
What happened behind the scenes?
Chopra faced a lot of skepticism when making 12th Fail—even his wife advised against releasing it in theaters.
Streaming platforms doubted the story's appeal and backed out, questioning if honest and determined people like the film's hero even exist today.
How did '12th Fail' do anyway?
Despite all the doubts, 12th Fail became a surprise hit.
The movie—based on Manoj Kumar Sharma's real-life journey from poverty to IPS officer—ran for over seven months in cinemas, made more than ₹67 crore at the box office, and earned Vikrant Massey his first National Film Award.