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Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year: After Dark takes the popular franchise in a darker direction, with its newly released trailer introducing a murder mystery, twin sisters and a dangerous school competition.
Starring Shanaya Kapoor in a double role, the upcoming series has sparked comparisons with international teen dramas and survival thrillers. While some viewers have welcomed the change in tone, others have pointed to similarities with familiar films and television shows.
Johar shared the official trailer on Instagram with the caption: “A whole new era dawns upon St. Teresa Heritage School and the closer you get to the truth, the deadlier it gets.”
The trailer moves away from the original franchise’s emphasis on romance, glamour and campus rivalries. Instead, it focuses on murder, secrets and a competitive school environment.
Several viewers took to social media to share their reactions. One wrote, “Giving Riverdale x 13 reasons vibes.” Another commented, “What in the MTV Paanch Riverdale combo is this?”
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These reactions suggest that the series’ mix of school politics, mystery and darker coming-of-age themes has reminded audiences of other teen dramas.
Another viewer described the show as “South Bombay ka squid game basically”, referring to the intense competition hinted at in the trailer.
The comparisons also extended to literature. One viewer wrote, “It reminded me of the book i read recently called ‘That Night’ by Niidhi upadhyay, Not exactly but some similarities”.
These comments reflect early audience impressions rather than confirmed creative influences. However, they show how the trailer has prompted viewers to look beyond the franchise’s familiar Bollywood campus setting.
Directed by Reema Maya and produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, Student Of The Year: After Dark is set at St. Teresa Heritage School. The story follows a prestigious student competition that becomes entangled with a murder investigation.
Kapoor plays twin sisters Aayesha Malik and Aditi. Aayesha, a prominent student, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. Believing that her sister’s death was not an accident, Aditi decides to investigate.
She enters the fiercely contested Student of the Year competition to uncover the truth. As she navigates the school’s social hierarchy and rivalries, she searches for answers about Aayesha’s death.
The investigation draws attention to the people closest to Aayesha, raising questions about what they know and whether they are hiding something.
The cast also includes Abhinav Singh, Divik Sharma, Manya Grover, Deeya Damani, Adi Malik, Sheeba Chaddha and Vivek Gomber.
Kapoor offered an early glimpse of her new role on Instagram last week, building anticipation ahead of the trailer’s release.
Student Of The Year: After Dark is scheduled to premiere on JioHotstar on November 13. Kapoor’s double role places her at the centre of the franchise’s shift towards a darker, mystery-driven storyline.
The series arrives 14 years after the original Student Of The Year, released in 2012. Directed by Johar, the film marked his return to the director’s chair after My Name Is Khan. It introduced Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, who later established themselves in Hindi cinema.
The franchise continued with Student Of The Year 2 in 2019. Directed by Punit Malhotra and starring Tiger Shroff, the sequel marked the acting debuts of Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria.
While the earlier films focused on romance, glamour and campus competition, After Dark introduces a murder mystery and a more suspenseful atmosphere, signalling a new direction for the franchise.
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