IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma recently opened up about how his life has changed, if at all, after the Vikrant Massey-starrer 12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, was released in theatres to critical and commercial success. He revealed that he did not get any monetary compensation for allowing the filmmaker to tell his life story, nor was he paid for the book that inspired the film.
Talking at ABP’s Ideas of India summit in Mumbai, he said in Hindi, “If you ask me what I got personally, then I didn’t get anything, because I don’t take money from anyone or go in expecting any monetary benefits from people. I am a visapt imaandaar (totally honest) person, I am as I was at the time of selection. My wife is also like that.”
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Manoj also shared that he and his wife have a “no gift system” at work and at home. He said, “At the time when my wife and I were preparing for the exams, we had decided that we’ll not wear diamonds and jewellery. She still doesn’t wear it so we don’t have that expense. We don’t even have a gift system, we don’t give each other gifts on anniversaries and birthdays. If we want to give gifts we write letters to each other. So we don’t need to go shopping.”
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Manoj also shared that the film has served as an inspiration for the youth, and that is the biggest reward that he could’ve asked for. “The only benefit that I have got is that the things that I wanted to tell the people of our country have come out through the film and the book, and if you want to take something from it then you can. What makes me happy is that school students are sending me letters and saying that they want to be like me, and to be honest, that is my reward. There was a guy who said that his father used to tell him about his struggles, but he never understood what his father meant. But after watching the movie, he went and hugged his father. This is what I have gained,” he said.
Also read – Vikrant Massey reveals his brother converted to Islam at 17, opens up about being raised by church-going father, Sikh mother: ‘Religion is man-made’
Thanking Vidhu Vinod Chopra for taking his story to the masses, he said, “Through this movie, thanks to Vidhu Vinod Chopra, people came to know about my story, otherwise there are so many stories but no one cares. How do you find someone like him to tell a story like this? This story is not special, it is about a kid who you’ll find in every nook and corner and streets in our country.”
“In the future, even if a few people feel that they should work hard and be honest and not take shortcuts and resort to dishonesty, then I don’t think there can be a bigger reward for me,” he concluded.
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