Vidhu Vinod Chopra talks about releasing Bollywood hit ’12th Fail’ in China

For veteran Bollywood director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, his latest film 12th Fail is the gift that keeps on giving.

Based on the 2019 book of the same name by Anurag Pathak, the film follows Manoj Kumar, who overcomes extreme family poverty, passes one of the world’s toughest exam processes, and becomes an Indian police officer. It depicts the true story of Sharma.

Distributed by Zee Studios, 12th Fail was released in theaters in October 2023 on a low budget, but only big-budget action spectacles work in the Bollywood market, where many smaller films bow directly to streamers. Instead, he chose the easier path. The lead cast, Vikrant Massey (Disney+ series “Criminal Justice”) and Medha Shankle (Busan selection “Max, Min, Nyawzaki”), were very talented but not big names.

The film resonated with audiences and has grossed $8.5 million to date, more than three times its budget. “Each movie has its own god, but what that god does with that movie is always a mystery. So why it did so well will always remain a mystery to me,” Chopra said. he said. variety. “I would say for me it’s probably because it’s an honest movie and it’s made with honesty and it spreads honesty…and in today’s world, honesty is really in short supply and in short supply. So maybe it connected with so many people, but frankly I don’t have an answer to that. It will forever remain a mystery.”

“The 12th Failure” also gave hope to Bollywood filmmakers that smaller films that focused on story rather than spectacle could find box office success, primarily in India. It was limited to films originating from the South. The film aired on Netflix in late December 2023 on streamer Disney+ Hotstar in India and around the world excluding India, and on Sony’s Indian TV channel in February 2024. In January 2024, it won Best Film, Director, Screenplay, and Editing at the Indian Filmfare Awards. He won the Critics Award for Best Actor.

“In the movies, if a guy makes one big hit, he suddenly becomes a star. And in the movie industry, you get blind support and everyone wants to be that star.” But it’s the same thing. If a movie like Us does as well as it did, it’ll be like Silver Jubilee, which will run in theaters for 25 weeks, even though it’s on Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, and Sony Television. It’s incredible. So if you tell your honest story, I’m sure many others will find it helpful as well. It will open up many more doors in the future. I’m sure more films like this will be made, and that makes me very happy. I’m happy to know that “The 12th Failure” is spreading hope,” Chopra said.

Chopra, a directing alumnus of the Indian Institute of Film and Television, won critical acclaim for his student short film The Monkey Hill Murders (1976). His next short, Face Encounter (1976), was nominated for an Oscar in the documentary short category. He adapted The Monkey Hill Murder Case as his feature debut, Sazae Mauto (1981). Highlights of his directorial career include ‘Khamosh’ (1985), ‘Parinda’ (1989), ‘1942: A Love Story’ (1994) and ‘Mission Kashmir’ (2000).

Chopra has also been a hugely successful producer with films such as ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ (2003), ‘Parineeta’ (2005), ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ (2006) and ‘Sanju’ (2018). credited to the work. “3 Idiots” (2009) and “PK” (2014) were huge hits in India and also in China.

Plans are underway to release “12th Fail” in China. In January, the film was screened at the 1st Young Cinema Festival (Asia-Europe) in Macau, directed by veteran festival curator and director Marco Muller.

“This year we will be releasing it in a big way in China,” Chopra said. “I was invited to Macau by Marco Müller for the Asia-Europe Young Cinema Film Festival. There was a standing ovation in China. I couldn’t read the subtitles. But the people clapping and the reaction from the audience was amazing. I have no doubt that this movie will do very well. Not just in China, but in any market where there is a struggle… Like, there are big government jobs that you can pass the exam and get a job that will change your life. That one exam will change your life forever. No matter where it is… Of course, whether it’s in China or Korea… wherever it is, I think this movie will do very well because people will empathize with the struggles of the main character.” The Chinese distributor has not yet been disclosed.

Chopra is currently working on three projects. “I’m going to keep making movies until the day I die, and hopefully those movies will find their place everywhere, whether it’s in theaters or on streaming platforms. I’m not interested in the film industry. No, I’ve never been there,” Chopra said. “It’s a contradiction because I’ve done some blockbusters in India, but for me movies are a lot of fun. And I’m not highly educated and I’m not lucky enough to go to Stanford like my daughter. That’s why I want to keep making movies until I can. I’m 71 years old, but I want to keep making movies until I’m 100. Of course, my inspiration is Clint Eastwood. .But that’s all I want to do. Make movies.”