Jaskunwar Kohli-directed Zero Se Restart offers a look up close at what went into the making of Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 2023 box-office phenomenon 12th Fail. As a BTS (behind-the-scenes) documentary film, it reminds one that the magic of cinema often begins far from the glitz of the premiere — on sets filled with uncertainty, in scripts no one believes in, and in the unwavering conviction of storytellers.
12th Fail, based on the real-life journey of Manoj Kumar Sharma, started small, as a low-budget film, but snowballed into a box-office juggernaut by touching a raw nerve around the flaws of the Indian education system. Powered by a superlative performance by Vikrant Massey, the film once again thrust the spotlight on director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, known for raising the bar in Hindi cinema as a filmmaker and producer with movies like Parinda, Munnabhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots.
The 73-minute-long Zero Se Restart, which had a theatrical release on December 13, banks on behind-the-scenes footage and conversations with Vidhu Vinod, 12th Fail producer Yogesh Ishwar, Vinod’s associate director Kunal and members of the cast. It is a montage of raw, unpolished moments — actors rehearsing under grueling conditions, on-set camaraderie and snapshots of the director’s personal reflections. There’s an authenticity to this patchwork approach, offering viewers a glimpse into the chaos and creativity of filmmaking.
The documentary begins with candid revelations — discussions about casting Varun Dhawan in the lead before opting for Vikrant Massey, a decision that was driven by the need for authenticity. While the producers pitched for Dhawan for his star power, Vidhu Vinod convinced his team that Massey’s everyman persona was going to be invaluable in scenes where blending into real-life locations was crucial.
While Vidhu Vinod was proved right when shooting some scenes in a school, it became clear that he had grossly underestimated Massey’s star power while filming in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar, with hundreds of students thronging the shooting location for a glimpse of the actor.
He allows Zero Se Restart to probe his doubts, missteps and determination as he took on a script that no one wanted to direct. In one revealing segment, he admits to his wife journalist Anupama Chopra’s scepticism about releasing 12th Fail in theatres instead of on OTT, and the risk that he took, which paid off with the film garnering tremendous critical acclaim while also filling box-office coffers.
Vidhu Vinod emerges not just as a director but also as a relentless force fighting for his vision, though you cannot get past the docufilm’s self-indulgent tone, even if slightly. What Zero Se Restart succeeds in doing is humanising the filmmaking process and at the same time serving as a crash course for aspiring filmmakers on lessons in perseverance, adaptability and the art of coming up with quick fixes.
