It’s uncanny how the reel life of Manoj Sharma, the protagonist of 12th Fail, and the real life of Umesh Ganpat Khandbahale seem to fit.

Khandbahale, the current superintendent of police of Jalpaiguri district, had failed in his Class XII board examinations but through sheer hard work cracked the UPSC examination to become an IPS officer in 2015.

The story of Khandbahale’s dedication and determination is being showcased by the Bengal police to inspire candidates during the current board examination season.

The police department has posted a 4.31-minute video on social media which has garnered more than 40,000 views in 24 hours. Khandbahale’s inspiring story has been woven with clips of the 12th Fail, the Vidhu Vinod Chopra film that talks about a youth from a remote corner of Madhya Pradesh who overcomes extreme hurdles to become an IPS officer. Actor Vikrant Massey turned in an award-winning performance.

Khandbahale hails from Mahiravani, a nondescript village in Maharashtra. He failed in Class XII in 2003.

“After I failed, I was overwhelmed with frustration. I thought of leaving academics altogether and I started helping my father with farming and our dairy business,” he said.

After two years, Khandbahale decided to take up a diploma course in horticulture from the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University.

“I thought of getting rid of my Class XII fail tag and decided to sit for the examination once again and passed Class XII in 2005. I then decided to do my BA, BEd and MA, too,” said the SP.

He chose to do his masters in English, a subject in which he had scored only 21 in that first ill-fated Class XII exam.

“The thought that I had done my MA, BEd, after failing in Class XII pushed me to sit for the UPSC exams,” the officer said.

He shifted base to Delhi for preparations and cleared UPSC with an All India Rank (AIR) of 704 in 2015.

It was his third attempt.

“Failure is a part of life. We need to work hard and set our goals. Success can only come with determination and perseverance,” said Khandbahale, adding his journey to become an IPS officer took 12 years from when he failed in 2003.

A tough beat, but the cop-to-be never gave up.