JioHotstar has unveiled the trailer of Student of the Year: After Dark, a murder mystery that reimagines the familiar campus setting with a darker storyline. Starring Shanaya Kapoor in a double role, the series follows a young woman who investigates her twin sister’s mysterious death while entering the competitive Student of the Year contest.
The series marks Shanaya Kapoor’s OTT debut and her first time playing a double role. She plays Aayesha Malik, a popular student who is found dead, and her twin sister Aditi, who refuses to believe that her death was accidental. Determined to uncover the truth, Aditi enters St. Teresa’s and participates in the Student of the Year competition, where her sister’s friends and rivals become potential suspects.
As Aditi navigates the school’s competitive environment, she finds herself caught between rivalries, hidden secrets and the pressure to win. The contest becomes part of her investigation, with each interaction potentially bringing her closer to the truth about her sister’s death.
Shanaya Kapoor on playing twin sisters
Speaking about her role, Shanaya said the two characters gave her an opportunity to explore contrasting personalities and choices. “Playing Ayesha and Aditi has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences for me as an actor. While the two sisters may look alike, they couldn’t be more different in their personalities and the choices they make. Ayesha’s mysterious death sets the story in motion, while Aditi’s search for the truth unravels a world where appearances can be deceptive and even the closest relationships hold secrets,” she said.
The actor added that the darker storyline was one of the aspects that drew her to the project. “What appealed to me the most about Student of the Year: After Dark is how it takes a much-loved franchise into an unexpected and new territory, where the stakes go far beyond competition and winning a title. It’s this fresh and intriguing take on a familiar world that made the experience so exciting for me,” Shanaya said.
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Reema Maya on reimagining the franchise
Director Reema Maya described the series as a story about the pressures of competition and the consequences of an all-consuming desire to succeed. “Student Of The Year – After Dark is grit, angst and heart. It is for the youth of now. A popular franchise reimagined for current times. The trailer is a glimpse into the new world we have created. There is so much more in store!” she said.
Maya added, “I wanted to explore the relentless competition that our youth find themselves grappling with. What happens when the need to succeed becomes all-consuming – destroying friendships, and even oneself. Our characters are young, ambitious, flawed and certainly not above suspicion. It is a murder mystery – competition series, where the competition is part of the investigation. I had a lot of fun taking commercial tropes of characters and dissecting their psyche.”
Produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, Student of the Year: After Dark also stars Abhinav Singh, Divik Sharma, Manya Grover, Deeya Damani, Adi Malik, Sheeba Chaddha and Vivek Gomber.
The series is directed by Reema Maya and will stream exclusively on JioHotstar from November 13, 2026.
Also Read: Shanaya Kapoor’s debut web show Student Of The Year: After Dark to premiere November 13 on JioHotstar
