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Student of the Year
2012 film directed by Karan Johar From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Student of the Year is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Karan Johar, written by Rensil D'Silva, and produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Gauri Khan under the banners of Dharma Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment.[5] The film stars debutantes Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, and Alia Bhatt, with supporting performances from Rishi Kapoor, Ronit Roy, Sahil Anand, Manjot Singh, Ram Kapoor, Farida Jalal, Manasi Rachh, Sana Saeed, and Kayoze Irani. Set in the fictional St. Teresa’s High School, the narrative follows three students navigating love, friendship, and rivalry as they compete for the prestigious titular trophy.
Featuring music composed by Vishal–Shekhar with lyrics penned by Anvita Dutt, the film was shot by Ayananka Bose and edited by Deepa Bhatia. Principal photography took place in various locations across India, including Dehradun and Bangkok.
Released theatrically on 19 October 2012, Student of the Year received mixed reviews from critics. While it was praised for its performances, visuals, direction, and music, some criticism was directed at its writing and narrative depth. The film emerged as a commercial success and became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of the year.[6]
At the 58th Filmfare Awards, the film earned four nominations, including Best Male Debut (Malhotra and Dhawan) and Best Female Debut (Bhatt), and won the R. D. Burman Award for New Music Talent (Neeti Mohan for "Ishq Wala Love"). The film later spawned a standalone sequel, Student of the Year 2 (2019), directed by Punit Malhotra and starring Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, and Ananya Panday, with Bhatt making a cameo appearance in a song.[7]
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Plot
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At the elite St. Teresa's College, Rohan "Ro" Nanda is a wealthy, popular student and the younger son of business magnate Ashok Nanda. While Rohan aspires to be a musician, his father wants him to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother, Ajay, and join the family business. Ro is in a relationship with Shanaya Singhania, a fashionable and affluent student who becomes increasingly discontented with his flirtatious behavior, particularly toward her rival Tanya Israni.
Abhimanyu "Abhi" Singh, a new student from a modest background, transfers to St. Teresa’s on scholarship. Ambitious and driven, Abhi idolizes Ashok and sees success at St. Teresa’s as a path to upward mobility. Initially at odds with Ro, he earns his respect after a football match, and the two develop a close friendship. Abhi is introduced to Shanaya, with Ro warning him not to pursue her. Though Abhi assures him otherwise, he gradually finds himself drawn to her. The three become close friends.
During Ajay’s wedding, Shanaya catches Ro flirting with Tanya and, feeling betrayed, attempts to make him jealous by drawing closer to Abhi. Although hesitant at first, Abhi begins to reciprocate her feelings. At school, the annual "Student of the Year" competition is announced by Dean Yogendra "Yogi" Vashisht, featuring multiple rounds including a quiz, treasure hunt, and dance contest.
The trio advances through the initial rounds. However, Abhi's grandmother, his only living family, passes away before the dance competition; in a moment of grief, Abhi and Shanaya share a kiss, which Ro witnesses, leading to a confrontation that fractures their friendship. Simultaneously, Shanaya falls out with her best friend Shruti, while Ro parts ways with his longtime friend Jeet Khurana. Shanaya quits midway through the dance battle, leaving Ro and Abhi to qualify for the final round.
The concluding triathlon event tests swimming, cycling, and running. Abhi, leading the race, deliberately slows down in the final stretch, allowing Rohan to win. However, Ro declines the trophy, stating that he does not wish to accept it. Their friend Kaizad "Sudo" Sodabottleopenerwala criticizes the competition, blaming it for breaking friendships and perpetuating favoritism, which prompts Yogi to retire. The batch graduates and eventually drifts apart.
A decade later, a terminally ill Yogi requests a reunion with his former students. Ro, now a rock musician, and Abhi, an investment banker now married to Shanaya, return to meet him. The reunion triggers unresolved tensions between Ro and Abhi, particularly over the events of the competition. During a heated exchange, Abhi reveals he lost the triathlon intentionally after noticing Ashok's satisfaction with Ro's defeat. Their argument gives way to reconciliation, rekindling their friendship. Yogi dies shortly after, content at having reunited his students. The film concludes with Rohan and Abhi playfully racing across the college grounds, echoing their past.
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Cast
- Varun Dhawan as Rohan "Ro" Nanda, Abhi’s best friend and Shanaya’s ex-boyfriend
- Sidharth Malhotra as Abhimanyu "Abhi" Singh, Ro’s best friend and Shanaya's later husband
- Alia Bhatt as Shanaya Singhania Singh, Ro’s ex-girlfriend and Abhi’s later wife
- Rishi Kapoor as Yogendra "Yogi" Vashisht, Dean of Saint Teresa
- Ronit Roy as Coach Karan Shah, Sports teacher of Saint Teresa
- Ram Kapoor as Ashok Nanda, Gayatri's husband, Ro's father
- Sana Saeed as Tanya Israni, Ro's one-sided love-interest
- Sahil Anand as Jeet Khurana, Ro's sidekick
- Manasi Rachh as Shruti Pathak, Shanaya's best friend
- Kayoze Irani as Kaizad "Sudo" Sodabottleopenerwala, Shanaya, Abhi, Ro, Tanya, Jeet, and Shruti's friend
- Manjot Singh as Dimple "Dimpy" Singh
- Gautami Kapoor as Gayatri Nanda, Ashok's wife, Ro's mother
- Farida Jalal as Sadhna Singh, Abhi's grandmother
- Akshay Anand as Dharamraj Singh, Abhi's uncle
- Manini Mishra as Geeta Singh, Abhi's aunt
- Prachi Shah as Ruchi Shah, Karan's wife
- Nandini Sen as Kamini Singhania, Shanaya's mother
- Boman Irani as Harikishan Sanon, Dean of Saint Lawrence
- Sushma Seth as Archana Vashisht, Yogi's mother
- Farah Khan as a judge in "The Disco Song" (special appearance)
- Vaibhavi Merchant as a judge in "The Disco Song" (special appearance)
- Kajol as herself in "The Disco Song" (special appearance)
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Production
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Development
On 5 January 2011, director Karan Johar and presenter Shah Rukh Khan shared the first-look poster of Student of the Year on social media, officially announcing the project.[8] The film marked the acting debuts of Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, and Varun Dhawan. Bhatt is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, while Dhawan is the son of director David Dhawan. Former child artist Sana Saeed, known for her role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), made her adult acting debut in the film. Kayoze Irani, son of actor Boman Irani, also appeared in a supporting role.
Malhotra and Dhawan had earlier worked as assistant directors on Johar's My Name Is Khan (2010).[9] Notably, Student of the Year became Johar's first directorial venture without Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role.
Filming
Principal photography took place primarily in Dehradun, with scenes filmed at the Forest Research Institute and Kasiga School, which served as the exterior for the fictional St. Teresa's College. Additional sequences were shot in Srinagar, including hospital scenes filmed outside The Lalit Grand Palace. Parts of the film were also shot in Thailand.[citation needed] Rob Miller, known for his work on Chak De! India (2007), was brought on to choreograph and direct the sports sequences in the film.
Marketing and release
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The first official trailer for Student of the Year was released on 2 August 2012, with the film scheduled for a theatrical release on 19 October 2012.[10]
As part of its promotional strategy, the film employed contest-based marketing targeting the youth demographic. Tata Motors served as the on-ground promotion partner and launched the "Nano Student of the Year" contest, which evaluated students across four categories: academics, culture, sports, and social life. The top eight finalists competed for the titular prize.[11]
The filmmakers also collaborated with FedEx Express to introduce the "FedEx Student Offer" and the "FedEx International Student of the Year" campaign, aimed at Indian students applying for higher education abroad.[12]
The satellite rights for Student of the Year were bundled with Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and sold to Sony Entertainment Television for ₹50 crore (US$5.9 million).[13] The music rights were acquired by Sony Music for ₹7 crore (US$830,000). [citation needed] In late October 2021, the satellite rights for Student of the Year, Agneepath (2012), and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani were renewed by Colors Cineplex.[14]
Additionally, a mobile video game based on the film was released by Indiagames, further expanding its digital outreach.[15]
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Reception
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Box office
Despite skepticism surrounding its high budget and the absence of established stars, Student of the Year performed well at the box office. It became the highest opening film featuring debutants in lead roles at the time.[16][17] The film exceeded trade expectations, turning profitable within its first week.[18]
India
The film opened with collections of ₹7.48 crore (US$880,000) on its first day and saw growth on its second day, earning ₹8.50 crore (US$1.0 million).[19][20][21] It grossed ₹43.1 crore (US$5.1 million) in its opening week.[22] The film collected an additional ₹14 crore (US$1.7 million) and ₹3.25 crore (US$380,000) in its second and third weeks, respectively, bringing its three-week domestic total to approximately ₹63.3 crore (US$7.5 million).[23][24]
Overseas
Student of the Year collected around US$1.25 million overseas during its opening, which was considered underwhelming given its release on 300 screens.[25] It saw a decline in subsequent weeks and concluded its international run with a total gross of approximately US$3 million.[26]
Critical reception
Student of the Year received mixed reviews from critics. While its performances and music were praised, the film drew criticism for its escapist and implausible narrative.[27][1]
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "escapist cinema at its best" and commending director Karan Johar for modernizing a familiar love story without underestimating the audience's intelligence.[1] Komal Nahta gave a similar rating, describing the film as "supremely entertaining."[28]
Raita Tandon of Filmfare also awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, noting that while the film's setting was "surreal and spectacular," it retained emotionally resonant moments.[27] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it "breezy" and "enjoyable," and appreciated Johar’s craftsmanship despite minor issues in the script.[29]
Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising its cast and highlighting Johar's signature ability to blend emotional drama with opulence.[30] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV, however, was less enthusiastic, rating the film 2.5 out of 5 and describing it as "glitzy but pulpy," appealing primarily to viewers seeking light entertainment.[31] Ananya Bhattacharya of Zee News was more critical, awarding the film 2 out of 5 stars and suggesting it was worth watching primarily for the debut performances.[32]
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Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack was composed by Vishal–Shekhar, with lyrics written by Anvita Dutt. One of the tracks, "The Disco Song," is a cover version of Nazia Hassan’s 1981 hit "Disco Deewane," retaining portions of the original vocals and incorporating new performances by Sunidhi Chauhan and Benny Dayal.[33]
Awards and nominations
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References
External links
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