The UPSC exam (short for Union Public Service Commission) is often regarded as one of the most Herculean tests, not just in India but in the rest of the world, too. Seen as a common yardstick of success in India, UPSC toppers end up becoming high-ranking bureaucrats, police officers, and the like.
So it’s not surprising for Indian pop culture to craft an underdog story around the exam every once in a while. The latest case in point is Bollywood auteur Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail, an inspiring rags-to-riches drama that is based on Anurag Pathak’s novel of the same name. Mirzapur star Vikrant Massey leads the movie as Manoj Kumar Sharma, a man who fought extreme poverty to ace the UPSC exam and become a top-level IPS (Indian Police Service) official.
Earning rave reviews from critics, 12th Fail emerged as a sleeper hit at the box office. With just a budget of Rs 5 crore, it ended up making more than twice the budget within the opening weekend itself. UPSC has become a buzzword lately, considering that 12th Fail’s release also coincided with the release of a new season of the acclaimed TVF web series Aspirants (which, as the name suggests, focuses on UPSC aspirants).
While studying for this arduous examination definitely requires students to give up vices like the cinema and OTT platforms, the exam and its success stories have interestingly spawned some notable narratives within contemporary Indian media.
Aspirants: On the past and present of the UPSC life
The production studio The Viral Fever (TVF) took on UPSC even before the success of their drama series Aspirants. This is evident from TVF’s YouTube originals that parodied the gruelling experiences of students aspiring to be top-shot IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and IPS officers. But what TVF’s Prime Video original Aspirants did differently was to include parallel storylines around three best friends.
The audiences bear witness as the friends struggle together in preparing for the exam as well as a future where they seemingly secured their dream job. In fact, the sequences that jump ahead show how even after clearing the exam, the administrators and bureaucrats might still need to improve at their reputable jobs.
The trials and tribulations that come with their powerful dreams and even more powerful responsibilities make for a bingeworthy sentimental spin on the UPSC experience.
Furthermore, many real-life aspirants will be delighted with the fact that the show puts the spotlight on Old Rajinder Nagar, a neighbourhood in Delhi that is renowned for its multitude of UPSC coaching centres and hostels for aspiring students.
Shaadi Mei Zaroor Aana: When heartbreak leads to bureaucratic dreams
The 2017 comedy-drama Shaadi Mei Zaroor Aana might not rank among Rajkumar Rao’s most powerful performances. But the clerk-turned-IAS officer Satyendra “Sattu” Mishra has definitely become a role model for disgruntled lovers and IAS aspirants in the country.
The story starts off with Sattu wooing his ladylove Aarti Shukla, who is a prominent state-level officer. However, all plans for marriage come crashing down when she tells Sattu that they can’t marry because she ranks higher in society and he’s just a low-level clerk. The subsequent embarrassment and heartbreak allows the jilted Sattu to turn his life around and study hard for the UPSC exam.
Five years later, Sattu ends up becoming an IAS officer himself, overseeing a case of administrative bribery and malpractice involving (drumroll) Aarti.
While Shaadi Mei Zaroor Aana can come off as just another story of heartbreak and a rather Herculean attempt at getting back at a judgmental ex, it’s an interesting case study to understand how UPSC jobs are viewed within the country. For many Indians, clearing the exam and getting a top job afterwards secures them a good salary and many other government benefits. For Sattu, his girlfriend shunning his lack of aspirations prompted him to get on the UPSC bandwagon like millions of other Indians. Good for Sattu!
12th Fail: The struggles of UPSC (along with some special cameos)
12th Fail is the latest movie to understand the craze around the UPSC exams and how much it means for people aspiring to climb up the social ladder. Vikrant Massey’s earnest portrayal of Manoj Kumar Sharma shows how his economically poor background limits his chances of enrolling in a coaching centre or a top-notch college. As the title suggests, the protagonist’s failure in the twelfth grade makes him all the more unlikely to ace any exam.
But as has been the case with many successful IAS and IPS officers, Sharma depends on his own hard work and relentless efforts to turn his life around, which eventually makes him successful. The plot is overly predictable, but Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s moving film resonated with audiences because it offers them a morally righteous protagonist worth rooting for. Sharma’s quest to clear the exam is the journey of many an Indian aspirant.
The film’s realism is further emphasised by actually featuring many real-life aspirants as supporting cast members. If that’s not enough in this “UPSC Cinematic Universe”, the film also features a noteworthy part for noted UPSC coaching professor Vikas Divyakirti, who plays himself. In fact, the hero himself is heavily inspired by the success stories of the IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and his wife and IRS (Indian Revenue Service) officer Shraddha Joshi.
With 12th Fail emerging as a sleeper hit and Aspirants returning for a sophomore season, it’s clear that the UPSC exam is worth capitalising on in mainstream Indian media. It’s only a matter of time before we get a Bollywood masala flick featuring a muscular IAS officer beating up the bad guys and taking out time for a few song-and-dance numbers!