Nov 10, 2026 5:00pm IST
Shanaya Kapoor on ‘Student of the Year: After Dark’: ‘It Marked My Entry into the World of Acting’ (EXCLUSIVE)
The upcoming series “Student of the Year: After Dark” marks a significant chapter in Shanaya Kapoor’s professional journey. While the actor has already featured in two films - “Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan” and “Tu Yaa Main” - this upcoming project was originally supposed to be her screen debut. In an exclusive chat with Variety India, Kapoor looks back on her entry into the “SOTY” universe, describing the series as a constant anchor through the key moments of her career.
“More than the first script, this was the first project that made me step into the world of cinema,” Kapoor reveals. “My previous two films (“Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan” and “Tu Yaa Main”) have already come out, but this was my very first step toward booking a project. So, it has really been a journey,” she reveals.
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Her association with “Student of the Year: After Dark” goes back several years. Having been involved with the project since its inception, she witnessed firsthand how scripts evolve and what goes into the filmmaking process behind the scenes. “It’s been three years - from initially hearing that we were making something special to now seeing each episode get approved,” she notes. “It has been an incredible journey. I saw the team come together and do the readings; I’ve been closer to this subject than anyone.”
Kapoor adds that she remained connected to the series even while filming her other projects, which left her with limited time for traditional preparation. “I have been with this project even through the filming of my other work,” she says. “I have also done a third project since then, and I’m currently shooting my fourth, but ‘SOTY’ has been there with me throughout. Because of that, we did not get much time to prepare for this. However, I was with the script for so long that I got to witness exactly what it was shaping into. It just felt very close to me from day one.”
Kapoor also opens up about shooting for the series in difficult weather conditions. The actor adds, “The show is set in peak winters, but we shot for it during peak summers. During some scenes, it was actually very hot. But we shot in both summer and winter in Panchkot, and there was real fog at times. That’s how we managed to create the winter setting.”
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“Student of the Year: After Dark,” directed by Reema Maya, releases on November 13. Alongside Kapoor, it stars Divik Sharma, Manya Grover, Abhinav Singh, Adi Malik and Deeya Damini in leading roles.
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