Film
Student of the Year
A glossy Bollywood campus romance about ambition, friendship, and love at an elite Indian college. It's a broad, energetic crowd-pleaser with Karan Johar's signature style: expensive, aspirational, funny without trying too hard. Made for people who want to be transported to a world of charm, wealth, and effortless good looks for two and a half hours.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like glossy, music-driven campus romances where rivalry, friendship and showy set pieces matter more than realism, and you don't mind your heart being worked over shamelessly.
Skip it if realism is not really on the menu, and the sprawling runtime of nearly two and a half hours can feel indulgent if you want something lean and tightly plotted.
What it asks of you: A long, busy sit: it moves between the past and present, crowds of characters, so it rewards patience and a taste for big, loud emotion over quiet ones.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai1998
The spiritual ancestor of this film: Johar's own blueprint for mixing romance, friendship drama, and college life into something irresistible. It has the same DNA but with more heart and a genuinely complicated emotional core.
But Shot and scored in a style that can feel dated now; the gender politics are of their era, and not always kindly.
Wake Up Sid2009
A sharper, more introspective take on similar material. Ranbir Kapoor plays a spoiled rich kid learning to be human, with real warmth and genuine growth, plus Konkona Sen Sharma doing her usual brilliant underplaying.
But Slower and more melancholic than you might expect; less sparkle, more soul-searching.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani2013
Peak Bollywood maximalism: a film about friendship, travel, love, and becoming yourself, shot across multiple countries with swagger and genuine emotional stakes underneath the sheen.
But Over two hours and indulgent with it; if you find Johar's aesthetic exhausting, this will exhaust you thoroughly.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Student of the Year
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Breakfast Club1985
Both films mine ensemble chemistry and the idea that disparate people become family through proximity and time. Student of the Year applies Johar's maximalism to the same basic structure: the transformative power of shared experience.
The DNA of every boarding school/college ensemble film ever. Five types forced together in one room, they learn each other's humanity. It's funny, it's moving, and it proved that teenage life could be the subject of real cinema.
But 1985 filming looks nothing like modern Bollywood gloss; it's intimate and unglamorous, shot in real locations with real awkwardness. If you need sparkle, this will feel deliberately dingy.
More like this (8)
Dil Chahta Hai2001
Zoya Akhtar's debut proved you could make a smart, funny film about friendship and romance without losing sophistication. Three best friends, three love stories, perfect comic timing, and it actually trusts the audience.
But The gender dynamics are uneven by modern standards; some of the comedy lands better if you're familiar with Bombay culture.
Kal Ho Naa Ho2003
Pure romance with a secret: a film about friendship and loyalty that sneaks up on you emotionally. Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan have perfect chemistry, and it's genuinely touching underneath the sparkle.
But The third act revelation is manipulative and the film knows it; if that upsets you, it'll linger badly.
Happy New Year2011
A heist film dressed as a Bollywood musical. It has the same glossy energy, ensemble chemistry, and the pleasure of watching beautiful people have fun together while planning something stupid.
But The plot is thinner than tissue paper and the heist logic makes no sense; you have to be willing to just enjoy the vibe.
Badrinath Ki Dulhania2017
Varun Dhawan again, in a rom-com that's actually aware of how silly romance can be. Lighter and breezier than Student, with a female lead who talks back and a film that doesn't take itself remotely seriously.
But Arrives late to the party and doesn't break much new ground; sometimes it feels like a retread of better Johar films.
Ishaqzaade2012
Released the same year with two young leads and Bollywood excess, but it takes a darker turn: forbidden love across religious lines with real danger and tension. Shows what happens when the fairytale breaks.
But Serious and occasionally violent, which can feel jarring if you're expecting another sparkly romance. The ending is not happy.
Cocktail2012
Same year, same star-making ambitions, but Deepika Padukone carries this one with real presence. It's about desire and consequence, set against glamorous apartments and London bars, with more grown-up problems.
But The film gets moralistic about female sexuality in ways that feel judgmental; the heroine is punished for having agency.
Bunheads2012
Same obsession with the academy as crucible of identity, but inverted: Bunheads is funny and tender because it's small and specific, whereas Student gets there through size and spectacle. Same emotional truth, opposite language.
A comedy-drama miniseries about a dance academy, young people finding themselves, and the messy joy of being part of something bigger than yourself. Amy Sherman-Palladino's wit with genuine warmth underneath. Just twelve episodes, perfectly formed.
But Cancelled after one season, so it ends on a cliffhanger that never resolves. If unresolved stories make you furious, don't start it. Also slower and drier than Bollywood maximalism.
Rang De Basanti2006
Both films share faith in young people as the center of cinema, and both use ensemble chemistry to make you care. But Rang De Basanti refuses the comfort of the fairytale: it asks whether these friendships can survive when reality intrudes. Student says they can. Rang De Basanti is not so sure.
A film about young people, friendship, and waking up to something that matters. Aamir Khan and a brilliant ensemble cast make you believe in them, and the film finds something true beneath the action-film surface: youth, idealism, and consequence.
But Becomes a political thriller in its final hour, which feels tonal whiplash if you come in expecting a coming-of-age drama. It's also asking serious questions about violence and patriotism that won't leave you untroubled.
People
Cast
Sidharth MalhotraAbhimanyu Singh
Varun DhawanRohan Nanda
Alia BhattShanaya Singhania
Rishi KapoorDean Yoginder Vasisht
Sana SaeedTanya Israni
Ram KapoorAshok Nanda
Ronit RoyCoach Shah
Sahil AnandJeet Khurana
Kayoze IraniSudo
Manjot SinghDimpy
Manasi RachhShruti Pathak
Boman IraniHarikishan Santa
Directing
- Karan JoharDirector
Writing
- Anvita DuttLyricist
- Karan JoharScreenplay
- Renzil D'SilvaScreenplay
- Karan JoharStory
Production
- Apoorva MehtaAssociate Producer
- Nandini ShrikentCasting Director
- Gauri KhanCo-Producer
- Marijke deSouzaExecutive Producer
- Kulthep NarulaLine Producer
- Pravin KhairnarLine Producer
- Karan JoharProducer
- Shah Rukh KhanProducer
Recommended by
Always Kabhi Kabhi, I Hate Luv Storys, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Luv Ka The End, The Archies, Half Girlfriend, Sye