Readers Write In #655: ’12th Fail’ and the Law of Conservation of Love

By VS Shyam

*Spoilers Ahead*

Unlike other underdog movies usually filled with adrenaline-pumping motivation and rage, 12th Fail can be interpreted as a love story, though it may not be classified under the romantic genre. Love is explored in several forms, towards fellow human beings, one’s duty, passion, or towards the nation. Interestingly there are some instances of lack of love and its after-effects in the movie. Every positive emotion or motive of a character can be transformed into a form of love, thus the movie remains an example of the law of conservation of love- love can neither be created nor destroyed, but only changes from one form to another.

Let us start with the usual and well-known conception of love: between Manoj and Shraddha. Their love lies in respecting and pushing each other towards achieving their dreams. The initial respect they share is transformed into love because of shared dreams and space. But the same love is transformed into motivation for Manoj once Shraddha clears her exams. Finally, it is her love turned into an unconditional trust that lets Manoj lose his fear and approach the interview panel.

Then there is our grandma whom I frankly thought of as a baddie mother-in-law initially. But that was shattered in the scene where we realize that her possessiveness towards her pension money is only her sacrifice for the dreams of her grandson. There is DSP Dushyant Singh, who once told Manoj to stop cheating. This became the cornerstone for him to which his ambition of becoming a top cop is tied. I don’t think just respect or fear would have fuelled him to stop cheating and finish his college degrees in one go.

An interesting example of love emerging from failure and regret is that of Gauri Bhaiyya. His is not targeted towards one person, rather he remains a fountain of providing tea. And guidance too. Though not in human form, the love that Manoj shares towards Abdul Kalam is humane in every aspect. Later it even becomes an obsession for him to study under a light bulb. This fondness transcends time periods, and I’m sure it will remain true even today. Yet, the root of all this that Manoj goes through is his relationship with his mother. His sacrifice of living and working in the flour mill, and his ego of not returning to his home stems from his mother’s sacrifice towards fulfilling family responsibilities, and he realizes that it’s now his turn towards fulfilling family responsibilities. This is love emerging not from shared happiness, but from shared pain and sacrifices, which is shown in an amazing scene where first Manoj cries and his mother consoles him, and later she cries and he consoles him.

The opposite of love is not hate or lack of love, rather it is indifference, and there are instances in the movie where every indifference leads to a negative effect. Treating and trusting one’s own daughter like a third person is the cause of disappointment that Shraddha feels towards her father. Pritam, the friend who lends a helping hand to Manoj at the railway station, becomes second-best once Manoj clears Prelims. Manoj’s lack of attention to Pritam would be evident in the scene when the results are published, and Manoj requests Pritam for his phone, without enquiring about his results. The same indifference would be felt by Pritam with his girlfriend, once he fails to clear the exam. It is only in future instances when Manoj gets Pritam out of jail, and he meets him before his interview, would Pritam feel valued, and loved.

It is indeed ironic that the making of a top cop who will become a force against violence brims with love stories. Or just as his father was able to turn his love towards his duty into violence against a corrupt officer, the son will be able to turn violence back into love. Perhaps, when the next time we find ourselves searching for motivation, we might be looking in the wrong box. It could be that what we truly need is a kind of love. And the good news is, there are innumerable boxes to search from.