12th Fail 100 days’ celebration: Medha Shankr blushes as she’s called ‘National Crush’; Shraddha Joshi Sharma tells her “Ek Shraddha sabhi deserve karte hai!”

By Fenil Seta -

February 4, 2024 - 9:23 AM IST

2023’s sleeper hit, 12th Fail, completed 100 days on February 2 and on this occasion, a screening of the film was held at a multiplex in Mumbai which was attended by aspiring acting and filmmaking students. It was followed by a conversation between actor Vikrant Massey and director Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The conversation was full of trivia and entertainment and what added to the fun was that the whole team of the film was present, that is actors Medha Shankr, Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Vikas Divyakirti and Sarita Joshi, music director Shantanu Moitra, lyricist Swanand Kirkire, co-producer and associate director Yogesh Dhabuwala and many others.

12th Fail 100 days’ celebration: Medha Shankr blushes as she’s called ‘National Crush’; Shraddha Joshi Sharma tells her “Ek Shraddha sabhi deserve karte hai!”

Manoj Kumar Sharma and Shraddha Joshi Sharma, whose story inspired 12th Fail, also graced the conversation. One of the memorable moments of the evening was when Medha Shankr and Shraddha Joshi Sharma opened up about their experience.

Medha was greeted with loud claps and hooting. She began by saying, “I am a very new actor and to bag Vidhu Vinod Chopra sir's film is a huge thing.” Before she could say more, a fan called her the “National crush” and Medha couldn’t help but blush.

Medha Shankr then continued by adding on to what Sarita Joshi said earlier, “I did not know that Sarita Joshi ma'am was also given the same advice about eyebrows. I was specifically told, 'Yeh tum kya kar rahi ho? Yeh mat kar. Yeh kisi scene mein nahin karna' (laughs)! So, I'll remember this for life. I have learned a lot when it comes to acting but after working with sir, you realize how much you have grown as a person. You become a better human being. The honesty and integrity that he talks about in his filmmaking, he also appreciates that in people. That's why, he keeps telling me, 'Yeh film ka success ho gaya hai. But you remain non-corrupt. You keep your feet on the ground’ and I have promised him that I'll be the same. I am sure he'll be there to guide me!”

Next, Shraddha Joshi Sharma was given the mic. She, too, got a great reception. She stated, “I feel gratitude. It's so overwhelming. The journey has been very fulfilling. As Vikrant says, our attention span has shortened. There's an equal amount of positivity and negativity around. Hence, we are happy that we have received such a response.”

Appreciating Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s effort, she said, “Nowadays, the character is not given a lot of importance. Aaj kal, VFX bahut bade hote hai. Music ki loudness bahut zyada hoti hai. But to tell the story by making the viewers connect with the characters is (praiseworthy). Vidhu sir hasn't added to commercialize anything. We are really thankful for that.” At this, Vidhu Vinod Chopra quipped, “Khud hi commercial ho gayi hai. 100 days ho gaye hai.” Shraddha smiled and exclaimed, “History has been made.”

Finally, Shraddha quipped, “And thank you, Medha. Ek Shraddha sabhi deserve karte hai (laughs)!” As expected, this viral dialogue led to a frenzy in the auditorium!

Also Read: 12th Fail completes 100 days; industry at a loss of words at its MIRACULOUS run in cinemas: “The collections usually drop after a film’s OTT release. In 12th Fail, it didn’t and it’s unprecedented. There’s no explanation for this mania”