In 2023, Bollywood witnessed the triumphant return of the Big Bollywood Blockbuster with a bang. While the initial months featured smaller films like Faraaz, Bheed, and Afwaah, it was Pathaan in January that set the tone for the year.
Pathaan and Jawan marked Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback, taking him back to the pinnacle of success. Amidst these high-profile releases, there were underrated gems that left a lasting impact, notably Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail. This unpretentious yet captivating film became a sleeper hit, led by Vikrant Massey’s stellar performance and a talented ensemble cast of newcomers.
12th Fail started streaming on OTT just recently. A majority of the audience that missed watching the film in theaters can’t stop raving about it after watching it on OTT. Many cinephiles are hailing Vidhu Vinod Chopra for crafting a heart-warming narrative whose box-office success offers a light at the end of the tunnel.
Many are also pointing out that Dunki lacked the honesty displayed in 12th Fail. Unlike Dunki, 12th Fail remained honest in its plot without any diversions like silly comedy and forced romantic tracks.
Some are also saying that Dunki’s director Rajkumar Hirani always worked under the supervision of Vidhu Vinod Chopra in films like the Munnabhai series, 3 Idiots, or PK. But this time Chopra’s touch was missing in Dunki as Hirani decided to move out of VVC’s camp and join SRK’s team.
The release of 12th Fail on OTT has definitely invited some more trolls on Dunki. Dunki as a standalone film is decent but when compared to Hirani’s past works, it came across as quite underwhelming maybe because it lacked Vidhu Vind Chopra’s Midas touch.
