Student Of The Year- After Dark Review: Shanaya Kapoor’s OTT Debut Marks Her Arrival As A Performer!
Shanaya Kapoor makes an impressive OTT debut with JioHotstar's Student Of The Year: After Dark. Directed by Reema Maya, the six-episode mystery thriller follows Aditi as she investigates her twin sister Ayesha's mysterious death, with Shanaya's dual-role performance emerging as its biggest strength.
Student Of The Year- After Dark Review: Shanaya Kapoor’s OTT Debut Marks Her Arrival As A Performer! | File photo
Title: Student Of The Year- After Dark
Director: Reema Maya
Cast: Shanaya Kapoor, Sheeba Chaddha, Harsh Chhaya, Vivek Gomber, Divik Sharma, Manya Grover
Where: OTT (JioHotstar)
Rating: 3 Stars
Review
After making her Bollywood debut in Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, Shanaya Kapoor now makes her OTT debut with Student Of The Year: After Dark. We will analyze whether this series will escalate her career graph or prove to be a downslide.
The entire series of Student Of The Year: After Dark is divided into six episodes: Secrets, Trust Issues, Ambition, False Memories, Heartbreak and Nightmare. The premiere episode opens with a shocking live stream of Aayesha, the popular queen bee of St. Teresa's Heritage School, leaving her friends and social media followers stunned as they watch her appear injured and bloodied on a viral video.
The premiere episode opens with a shocking live stream of Aayesha (Shanaya Kapoor)
In a shocking twist, Ayesha’s blue, frozen body is recovered from the water, leaving her devastated twin sister, Aditi Malik, refusing to accept the mysterious death as a mere accident.
Determined to uncover the truth, she infiltrates St. Teresa by entering its gruelling Student of the Year competition—a high-stakes journey where she uncovers shocking secrets and discovers that people are rarely what they seem.
Will Aditi succeed in her mission and uncover the dark, hidden secrets behind her sister’s sudden death? Raised in the gripping first two episodes, these mystery thriller questions are gradually unravelled as the web series unfolds.
Actors' performance
This series marks a career-defining breakthrough for Shanaya Kapoor, whose praiseworthy dual-role performance is sure to make top filmmakers take notice. Delivering standout acting, she goes on to prove that she is far more than just a pretty face—cementing her place in Indian entertainment through sheer talent rather than her famous surname.
Delivering powerful supporting performances, veteran actors Sheeba Chaddha, Harsh Chhaya, and Vivek Gomber provide a solid foundation that elevates Shanaya’s standout acting, while the rest of the ensemble cast seamlessly drives this gripping series forward.
Direction, Music and Aesthetics
Director Reema Maya, whose previous award-winning works like Counterfeit Kunkoo and Nocturnal Burger are still respected, is the director of this series. With Student Of The Year: After Dark, Maya has successfully given a brand-new dimension and direction to the title, which so far was only synonymous with candyfloss college romance within the premises of a dreamy too-good-to-be-true college campus!
There are places where Maya lets loose (read ‘unleashes’) her directorial instincts (mostly in the latter first half of the first and second episode). But overall, Maya succeeds in her ‘maya’ of her craft.
Music by Achint Thakkar is convincing and in sync with the narrative. Cinematography by Harshvir Oberai is decent. The series editor Rohan Kapoor should have done extra work in the latter half of the second part. Rest all is up to the mark.
FPJ verdict
For all those who missed watching Shanya Kapoor’s talent in Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, do not miss Student Of The Year: After Dark. You will surely thank us later.
RECENT STORIES
-
-
-
-
-