Shanaya Kapoor Cuts Her Hair and Ditches Makeup for Student of the Year: After Dark, Reveals Reema Maya

Shanaya Kapoor is stepping away from the glamorous image often associated with Bollywood’s campus dramas. For her upcoming series Student of the Year: After Dark, the actor embraced a noticeably different appearance, including cutting her hair and going without makeup to bring greater authenticity to her characters.

Director Reema Maya recently spoke about Shanaya’s commitment to the project, revealing that the actor was open to changes designed to make her performance more believable. According to the filmmaker, there was no resistance when she discussed the transformation with Shanaya.

The preparation included deliberately creating an unpolished appearance, with the makeup team adding details such as dark circles and freckles rather than concealing them.

For Shanaya, the role offers an opportunity to move beyond conventional glamour and explore a darker, more demanding story.

Shanaya Kapoor’s Transformation for Two Characters

In Student of the Year: After Dark, Shanaya plays twin sisters Aditi and Ayesha Shroff. Although the sisters share a physical resemblance, their personalities and choices are different, giving the actor the challenge of establishing two distinct characters on screen.

Reema Maya explained that Shanaya was willing to make changes to her appearance to suit the roles. The director also asked her to avoid conditioner so that her hair would appear frizzier and less polished.

The decision was part of a broader effort to move away from the carefully styled looks often seen in mainstream campus dramas. Rather than prioritising a glamorous appearance, the team focused on what would best serve the characters and the story.

Maya praised Shanaya’s attitude, saying the actor did not appear preoccupied with whether she looked glamorous and remained committed to the demands of the role.

Student of the Year Gets a Darker Twist

The original Student of the Year films were known for their stylish college settings, romantic relationships, friendships and competitive student life. Student of the Year: After Dark takes the familiar franchise in a different direction, introducing a murder mystery set against the pressure of an intense school competition.

The story begins with the mysterious death of Ayesha Malik, a popular student at St Teresa Heritage School. Her twin sister, Aditi, refuses to accept that the death was accidental and enters the school’s Student of the Year contest in an effort to uncover the truth.

As Aditi gets closer to her sister’s circle, friendships, rivalries and hidden secrets complicate the investigation. The competition becomes more than a contest for a title: it also provides a way for Aditi to investigate the people around her.

The series explores how ambition and the pressure to succeed can affect relationships, while keeping the central mystery at the heart of the story.

Reema Maya Reimagines the Franchise

Directed by Reema Maya and produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, the series represents a departure from the familiar tone of the earlier Student of the Year films.

Maya has described the project as a story about young people dealing with competition, ambition and personal flaws. Rather than simply repeating the franchise’s established formula, the series examines the darker consequences of a relentless desire to succeed.

The change in tone also creates a different environment for the performances. The characters are not presented as flawless students navigating a glamorous campus; they exist in a world where motives are uncertain and even close relationships may conceal secrets.

That approach places Shanaya’s double role at the centre of the series, requiring her to distinguish the two sisters while navigating the story’s suspenseful elements.

Shanaya Kapoor’s OTT Debut

Student of the Year: After Dark marks Shanaya Kapoor’s OTT debut and her first double role. The project follows her earlier work in Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan and Tu Yaa Main, giving her another opportunity to explore a different kind of character.

The series also features Abhinav Singh, Divik Sharma, Manya Grover, Deeya Damani, Adi Malik, Sheeba Chaddha and Vivek Gomber.

The trailer introduces a more suspense-driven version of the franchise, with the investigation into Ayesha’s death unfolding alongside the school competition.

The series is scheduled to premiere on JioHotstar on November 13, 2026.

The Celebrity Hour Take

Shanaya Kapoor’s transformation is notable because it reflects a willingness to prioritise character over appearance. Cutting her hair and adopting a deliberately less polished look are practical choices, but they also signal the kind of performance the creative team wants to bring to the screen.

The larger test will be whether the series successfully combines its murder mystery with the pressures of student competition. Its darker direction gives the franchise a new identity, while Shanaya’s portrayal of twin sisters offers her a chance to demonstrate a wider acting range.

With Reema Maya at the helm, Student of the Year: After Dark is preparing to take a familiar name into less predictable territory. Audiences will be able to judge the transformation for themselves when the series premieres in November.

Sources & Verification

• Reema Maya’s comments about Shanaya’s transformation: Recent coverage quotes the director discussing Shanaya cutting her hair, avoiding makeup and accepting changes to her appearance for the role.

• Series premise and double role: The official trailer coverage confirms that Shanaya plays twin sisters Aditi and Ayesha, with Aditi investigating her sister’s mysterious death.

• Cast, production and release date: Published coverage identifies Reema Maya as director, Dharmatic Entertainment as producer, and November 13, 2026, as the scheduled premiere date on JioHotstar.