Shanaya Kapoor Discusses Franchise Legacy and Double Role in Student of the Year: After Dark

Stepping into a beloved pop-culture universe is never easy, especially when it has previously launched some of Bollywood’s biggest contemporary stars. For Shanaya Kapoor, headlining Student of the Year: After Dark on JioHotstar comes with excitement and responsibility due to the franchise's legacy and taking on a double role early in her career.

Speaking about the franchise created by Karan Johar, which originally introduced Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, and Sidharth Malhotra, Shanaya acknowledged the significance of carrying it forward. She noted that she grew up looking up to them as actors, friends, and mentors.

To avoid intimidation, Shanaya consciously shifted her mindset under the direction of Reema Maya to create something fresh for 2026. Rather than focusing on the weight of the franchise, she approached the script as a distinct project to establish a different voice.

Playing a double role in a thriller added to the challenge, but Shanaya credited Reema Maya’s hands-on guidance for keeping her grounded and preventing the characters from becoming caricatures. Through extensive preparation on looks, feels, backgrounds, physicality, body language, tone, and voice during rehearsals, she navigated shooting both characters on the same day.