12th Fail is based on the real story of IPS officer Manoj Sharma , who failed in all subjects except for Hindi in the 12th standard, but didn’t allow that to deter his dream of clearing the Union... Is 12th Fail a true story ? The answer is yes. 12th Fail is a true story based on Anurag Pathak’s best-selling book of the same name that depicts the life of ' real -life' IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and IRS officer Shraddha Joshi. While many people in IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma's life supported him in his UPSC journey. Inspired by the valour of IPS officers, Bollywood has chronicled their tales, with the latest addition being 12th Fail . The film narrates the true story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma (played by Vikrant Massey) and his wife, IRS officer Shraddha Joshi. Read on to know more about his journey., Bollywood, Times Now Meet IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma, the real life inspiration for the main lead of IMDb's highest rated Indian film ever, ' 12th Fail '.