The announcement of Student of the Year 3, starring “Shanaya Kapoor” and reportedly “Alaya F”, has many questioning whether it will succeed.
The original film in 2012 was a launchpad for stars like Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan and was quite successful, but the sequel in 2019 featuring Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday, and Tara Sutaria did not resonate with audiences, largely because it failed to relate to college life as it is today.
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The franchise often depicts elite academic environments that are not quite relatable to the current youth, who are more used to stories as seen in American dramas and web series.
The further complication is in Karan Johar’s choice to take the franchise into a web series under “Dharmatic Entertainment.
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Moving the franchise into digital platforms will surely attract more youth, but it may lose some of its viewers who enjoy the traditional big-screen experience.
Additionally, “Reema Maya” is on board to direct, and her vision may differ drastically from what the franchise has established so far, which could be confusing for fans.
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Alaya’s performance in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan has been even more panned lately, which can further affect audience expectations for SOTY 3.
While she shared screen space with Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, her cringe essay of Pam was trolled by whoever saw the film, an aspect where many viewers misinterpreted her as irritating or cute.
This polarized reception goes onto state a larger concern-she hardly connects with the audience in a franchise that rides on relatability and charm.
Shanaya and Alaya, casting newcomers in themselves, might just not be sufficient to attract audience interest back in. With growing nostalgia and different types of content coming out, this movie will need a lot more than that.
If the plot is not attractive and is something which the modern youth can really connect with, it might simply be another part of a chain that was thriving once upon a time with talent and great storyline.
