Shanaya Kapoor’s Student Of The Year: After Dark Trailer Compared To Squid Game

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year: After Dark is already facing comparisons to popular international shows. After the trailer’s release, some viewers called its premise familiar, drawing parallels with Squid Game, Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why.

Student Of The Year: After Dark Trailer Reveals A Murder Mystery

The trailer opens with the discovery of Aayesha Malik’s body at St Teresa Heritage School. Played by Shanaya Kapoor, Aayesha is the school’s queen bee, and her death leaves her twin sister Aditi searching for answers. Refusing to believe it was an accident, Aditi enters the school to uncover the truth.

Her investigation soon draws her into the school’s fierce Student of the Year contest. As she competes for the title, she must also figure out who killed her sister. The search becomes more complicated when Aditi realises that Aayesha’s closest circle may have hidden secrets of its own.

Unlike the earlier Student of the Year films, the new series moves away from a focus on campus romance and rivalry alone. Its trailer combines a school competition with murder, betrayal and a search for the killer.

Viewers Compare Shanaya Kapoor’s Series To Squid Game And Riverdale

The trailer has prompted online comparisons with several international series. One viewer wrote, “Giving Riverdale x 13 reasons vibes.” Another commented, “copied from anime.” A third user said, “ELITE + Squid Game = Student of the Year After Dark.”

One more viewer wrote, “Riverdale-ismmmm of Student of the Year looks interesting.”

Cast, Director And Release Date Of SOTY 3

Reema Maya directs the series, which is produced by Dharmatic Entertainment. Shanaya Kapoor plays both Aayesha and Aditi, the twins whose contrasting personalities and choices drive the story. The supporting cast includes Abhinav Singh, Divik Sharma, Manya Grover, Deeya Damani, Adi Malik, Sheeba Chaddha and Vivek Gomber.

Karan Johar shared the trailer and wrote, “A whole new era dawns upon St. Teresa Heritage School and the closer you get to the truth, the deadlier it gets.”

Shanaya said playing the twins was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of her acting career. She explained, “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.”

Student of the Year: After Dark will begin streaming on JioHotstar on November 13, 2026. The series will need to establish its own identity as it takes the franchise into darker territory, especially after viewers have already drawn comparisons to other teen dramas and thrillers.