Vidhu Vinod Chopra says Hollywood feels 12th Fail should have been India's entry to Oscars, 'not whatever went'

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail starred Vikrant Massey as a UPSC aspirant battling poverty and other obstacles.

Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra has opened up on the international acclaim his film 12th Fail has received. The Vikrant Massey-starrer inspirational drama was a sleeper hit last year and earned not just much more than its budget but also surpassed trade expectations. Chora has now said that people in Hollywood told him it was worthy of Oscar contention. (

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail starred Vikrant Massey

Vidhu Vinod Chopra on 12th Fail's Oscar buzz

Speaking at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on Friday, Chopra addressed the trend of thrillers and other films not getting National Film Awards. He said we lay too much emphasis on awards and added, “Can I tell you one thing in return that so many people have told me, including people in Hollywood, that 12th Fail should have represented India at Oscars, not whatever went.”

Last year, India's official entry to the Academy Awards was the Malayalam survival drama 2018, which did not get a nomination. 12th Fail was not selected by the Film Federation of India, the body tasked with selecting India's entry for the awards.

However, Chopra reiterated his point about the undue significance of awards, saying, “Say yes or no, do I care? What I care for — did I make a good film, did I not make a good film. So please don’t give so much importance (to awards). Awards are for people outside of (the industry) who are acknowledging you for God knows what reasons. So please don’t bother.”

About 12th Fail

12th Fail was based on Anurag Pathak's eponymous non-fiction book about the rise of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma. Starring Vikrant alongside Medha Shankr, Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar and Priyanshu Chatterjee, the film received praise from audience. It also made around ₹70 crore at the box office on a ₹20-crore budget.