Student of the Year: After Dark Review: Is Shanaya Kapoor’s Dark Thriller Worth Watching?

Student of the Year: After Dark review: Karan Johar’s glossy campus franchise has come back as a dark murder mystery, and the response so far is good. All six episodes of the JioHotstar series started streaming on 13 November 2026, and viewers are calling it a binge-worthy thriller. Shanaya Kapoor plays twin sisters in a double role, and that performance is the thing almost everyone is talking about.

The response so far

The series has been out for only a day, but the response on social media is already strong. Most of it is praise, and most of the praise is for Shanaya Kapoor.

On X, Vishwajit Patil gave it 4 stars and wrote, “There is an interesting darkness running through #StudentOfTheYearAfterDark that sets it apart from the usual campus dramas.” He said Shanaya Kapoor carries the series on her shoulders in a double role, striking “the perfect balance between fragility and ferocity”, and that debut director Reema Maya “makes a nearly perfect show that’s worth your time and attention!”

Navneet Mundhra gave it 3.5 stars and called Shanaya “the biggest surprise” of the series, with “a fierce but also emotionally moving & nuanced performance in a double role”. He also praised Sheeba Chaddha and said Manya Grover “stands out and delivers a knockout performance”. His only complaint was that some parts could have been tighter and a few portions needed more depth, but he called these “minor flaws”.

Het Tanna on X called it “a brilliant yet impactful watch and a pure binge-worthy experience”, and said he “absolutely loved the mix of secrets, mystery, thrill, engagement and entertainment.”

Instagram reviewer Siddhant Yadav, in a video review that got 15,000 likes, called it “a pretty fun high-school thriller with an intriguing cliffhanger ending”. He liked the fast pace, the background score and the cinematography, and he pointed out a nice touch: on-screen doodles that explain plot points, like “red tracksuit = Competition Uniform”.

IWMBuzz gave the series 3.5 out of 5 in its review, saying Shanaya Kapoor “commands attention in a thriller that keeps you guessing”. The makers have also shared review cards from media outlets showing 4 to 4.5 star ratings, with lines like “a brilliantly done suspense thriller” and “twists, tension and intrigue”.

So the response is good. Not perfect, but good. And the praise is coming from viewers and critics alike, not just from the makers.

The story

The story starts at St. Teresa’s Heritage School. Aayesha Malik, the popular queen bee of the campus, is found dead, drowned in a frozen lake. Her twin sister Aditi does not believe it was an accident. The two sisters had been out of touch for some time, but Aditi is sure her sister was murdered.

Aditi goes undercover at the same school to find the truth. There she finds a secret competition that runs after dark, where students in red tracksuits take part in dangerous challenges. Past accidents at the school have been covered up, and everyone around Aayesha is a suspect. Her jealous best friend Tara. Rehaan, the rejected lover. Babydoll, the psycho roommate. And Sid. Nobody can be trusted, and everyone has a reason to hide something.

The series is a whodunnit at heart, but it is also about the dark side of campus life: ambition, jealousy, broken homes, abusive parents, and the pressure to win at any cost.

Why people are loving it

The first reason is Shanaya Kapoor. She plays both twins, and the two characters feel different. Aayesha is glamorous and full of energy. Aditi is intense and fierce. Viewers keep saying she gives each sister her own personality, and that is not an easy thing to do in a double role. This is her first web series, after her Bollywood debut in Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyaan.

The second reason is the pace. The series moves fast. The central mystery is set up in the first few minutes, and the six episodes run about four hours in total, so it is easy to finish in a weekend. The cliffhanger ending is also getting praise. People want to know what happens next.

The third reason is the look of the show. The moody campus, the dark lighting, the background score and the red tracksuits all add to the thriller mood. The series looks different from the old Student of the Year films, which were all about glamour, dance numbers and romance. This one trades all of that for tension and secrets.

The other side

Not everyone is fully convinced. The most common complaint is that the series reminds people of other shows. Trailer comments kept comparing it to Riverdale, Elite, 13 Reasons Why and Squid Game. “Squid Games vibes. So gonna watch it!” wrote one viewer, while others called it a copy. The makers would say it is a reinvention. The truth is somewhere in between. The secret competition and the red tracksuits do remind you of Squid Game, but the story itself is its own.

A few viewers also noted minor pacing dips in the middle episodes. IWMBuzz said the same thing, and added that the series could have spent more time on Aditi’s grief before jumping into the investigation.

And there is one strong negative voice too. One X user wrote after the first episode that Shanaya Kapoor’s acting was “already testing my patience… Unbearable”. It is only one voice against many, but it shows the acting debate around Shanaya is still alive.

Student of the Year: After Dark series details

Student of the Year: After Dark cast

What critics and viewers said

Verdict

Student of the Year: After Dark is worth a weekend binge if you like campus mysteries with secrets, survival games and sharp twists. It is a bold new direction for the franchise, and the response shows it is working. Shanaya Kapoor’s double role is the heart of the show, and the mystery keeps you guessing till the end.

If you are expecting light romance and glossy dance numbers like the old Student of the Year films, this is not that show. It plays by much darker rules. But if you enjoy a gritty whodunnit, this one is an easy watch on JioHotstar.