Media365
Filmmaker Karan Johar has announced Student Of The Year: After Dark, a new web series that takes the popular franchise in a darker direction as the original film completes 14 years. Starring Shanaya Kapoor, the upcoming seres promises a shift from the glamour, romance and campus rivalries of the earlier films to a world of mystery, violence and intense competition.
Karan shared a clip with the caption, “Nostalgia is working overtime this week!!! As we complete 14 years of our beloved SOTY franchise…we embark on a new journey taking it forward but it’s now in AFTER DARK! Gritty, gory, unabashed and absolute madness!!!! Gear up! Hotstar Specials: Student Of The Year – After Dark, streaming from 13th November, only on JioHotstar.
Karan Johar shared in a statement, “When I look at this new chapter, I see a phoenix rising. We began this franchise with big dreams in 2012 and now we’re breaking every rule we set. With Reema’s genre-defying direction and Shanaya’s powerful double-role performance, we’re setting the stage for something spectacular. Shanaya isn’t just stepping into the spotlight, she’s shattering it and the first look is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Director Reema Maya added, “This isn’t going to be what you expect. It is Student Of The Year, stripped to its bones and reimagined as a thriller competition web-series. Karan Johar has put his faith in my voice and vision and I’m excited to have fun with this genre. The web series format is giving us a wide canvas for the conversations we want to have with our youth. We had so much fun with the music of the show. The cast is young and incredibly talented. Shanaya is a director’s actor – prepared and hardworking.”
Shanaya Kapoor shared her excitement about the project and said, “Student Of The Year: After Dark web series for me is more than just a project, it’s a bold statement. Portraying this character in a contrasting manner is a deliberate choice to challenge expectations and redefine what audiences anticipate from mainstream storytelling. The role is layered, flawed, and unapologetically real. Stepping into her world has been the most challenging and a rewarding experience.”
Directed by Reema Maya and backed by Dharmatic Entertainment, the series will stream on JioHotstar from November 13.
The original film, Student of the Year, directed by Karan Johar, was released in 2012 and marked the Bollywood debuts of Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra. The franchise continued with Student of the Year 2 in 2019, starring Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria.
With Student of the Year: After Dark, the franchise appears set to move away from its earlier campus-romance tone towards a grittier story. The cast also includes Divik Sharma and Manya Grover.
