12th Fail Reference To Dhoni-Gambhir Debate Over 2011 WC Final Leaves Fans In Splits

In a year which saw Bollywood’s Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan make a roaring comeback with blockbusters like Pathaan and Jawan, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s directorial 12th Fail stood out in its merit. Featuring Vikrant Massey in the lead role, the biographical drama did not take much time to secure a special place in the hearts of Indian movie buffs, not only for its inspiring storyline but also for its cinematic excellence. Based on a non-fiction book by Anurag Pathak of the same name, 12th Fail tells the real-life story of a hard-working UPSC aspirant, Manoj Kumar Sharma, who was ready to go to any extent for his dream of becoming an IPS officer.

As soon as the movie began to gain popularity, meme experts on social media started to create content based on the characters of 12th Fail. Diving into the trend, a cricket-related account on X has come up with a hilarious post where two important characters of the film – Shraddha and Gauri Bhaiya were compared with India’s World Cup-winning stars – Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir.

Shraddha Joshi had been a constant support system for Manoj Kumar Sharma during his journey till clearing the UPSC. Both crossed paths at Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi where a large number of aspirants come every year to prepare for the civil service examination.

Shraddha, an IRS officer, later tied the knot with Manoj and the couple has been happily staying together. Meanwhile, Manoj also met Gauri Bhaiya in Delhi. Those, who have watched 12th Fail, must have an idea about Gauri Bhaiya’s contributions to Manoj’s life. Though he failed to crack UPSC, Gauri Bhaiya was always there to boost Manoj’s confidence.

Considering both Shraddha and Gauri Bhaiya’s efforts, it is quite hard to decide who deserves more credit for Manoj’s success. Going by the comparison, the X account named Gems of Cricket dug out the reference to the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup final where India triumphed over Sri Lanka to claim the title.

More than a decade has passed but some Indian fans are yet to choose between Dhoni and Gambhir as the star of the 2011 final at Wankhede. After India lost their both openers early, Gambhir took over the charge and played a composed 97-run knock, bringing his team back to the contest.

On the other hand, Dhoni arrived at the crease at a time when India sought urgency as they were chasing a daunting target of 275 runs. The skipper registered an unbeaten 91. His 79-ball innings was laced with 8 boundaries and 2 sixes. Dhoni was named the Player of the Match but for several fans, Gambhir was a more deserving candidate.

The situation might be quite similar in the story of 12th Fail. While the majority of the viewers hailed Shraddha for always being there for Manoj, some feel her popularity has overshadowed the contributions of Gauri Bhaiya. Thus, cricket enthusiasts have found the post quite relatable. Here’s how they have reacted:

Released in late October last year, 12th Fail has grossed over Rs 66 crore worldwide. After spending nearly two months in theatres, the flick was made available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar on December 29 and immediately took the OTT world by storm.