Shanaya Kapoor has spent her recent projects moving across genres, from Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan to Tu Yaa Main. With Student of the Year: After Dark, she makes her sharpest turn yet — a darker OTT chapter that leaves behind the franchise’s glossy campus glow. Director Reema Maya says Shanaya did more than accept the shift; she helped build it, haircut and all.
The series premieres on JioHotstar on November 13 and casts Shanaya in a double role as Aditi and Ayesha Shroff.
The look: no makeup, no conditioner
Maya describes a process built on trust rather than vanity. When she suggested ideas for the characters, she met no resistance.
“We did not give her any makeup.”
The team went further, adding dark circles, freckles and other imperfections to make the characters feel lived-in. According to Maya, Shanaya never seemed preoccupied with how she looked or whether she appeared glamorous. For an actor stepping away from a polished screen image, that is a meaningful signal of how different After Dark intends to be.
Why the look matters
A double role in a murder mystery depends on clarity. If Aditi and Ayesha Shroff look like two versions of a red-carpet persona, the contrast is weaker. By stripping back the styling, the series can ground both characters in a harder, less artificial register. The look is not just aesthetic — it is a storytelling tool.
It also tells viewers where the franchise is heading. The first two Student of the Year films were theatrical releases starring Alia Bhatt and Ananya Panday, running on romance, friendship and aspirational campus life. After Dark swaps that world for secrets, rivalry and murder, moving from big-screen gloss to a streaming series.
The franchise pivot
- Earlier films: bright, romantic theatrical campus stories.
- After Dark: an OTT series built on secrets, rivalry and murder.
- Shanaya plays two roles: Aditi and Ayesha Shroff.
- The trailer is out now; the series premieres on JioHotstar on November 13.
This is a familiar brand trying a different format and mood. The title brings recognition, but the darker treatment will decide whether old fans follow the franchise into a new genre.
What to do next
The trailer launched today is the first chance to see that grittier world. Before the premiere, it is worth revisiting the earlier films to measure how far the series has moved. Then, when November 13 arrives, the question is simple: can Student of the Year work without the glow?
Source: Filmfare