Student Of The Year Review (Student Of The Year Movie Poster)
Student Of The Year Movie Poster

Rating: 2.5/5 stars (Two-and-a-half stars)

Star Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Rishi Kapoor, Sana Saeed, Ram Kapoor, Kajol (guest appearance).

What’s Good: The performances; the direction; the humour.

What’s Bad: The unbelievable portrayal of students; the hamming; the ridiculous explanations in the climax.

Loo break: None.

Watch or Not?: If you’re a fan of Karan Johar’s fare, you’ll definitely enjoy all the dance-drama. Otherwise it’s just like a re-hashed version of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

User Rating:

Student Of The Year makes no qualms about being an “escapist” movie. One of the characters introduces the school where all the action takes place – St Teresa – as “…not a normal school. A world in its own.”

This is Karan Johar’s fantasy land on his canvas, so you have the rich douchebag Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan) who (predictably) has daddy issues. With his father (Ram Kapoor) being one of the donors for the school, he has a posse of guys who hang on to his every word. While his rich, hot and spoilt girlfriend Shanaya (Alia Bhatt) hankers for his attention, he still keeps wandering to the other hottie Tanya (Sana Saeed).

When poor-orphan-with-a-scholarship, Abhimanyu (Sidharth Malhotra) joins the school, he threatens Rohan’s fiefdom. But soon the duo warm up to each other and become good friends. Heck, Abhimanyu even helps Rohan win back Shanaya after she throws a hissy fit, though Abhimanyu loves her!

Then dean Yogendra (Rishi Kapoor) announces the Student Of The Year competition and all hell breaks loose. Friendships are threatened, fistfights follow and there is lots of love lost.

Watch the movie to find out who wins.

Student Of The Year Review (Student Of The Year Movie Stills)
Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan (Student Of The Year Movie Stills)

Student Of The Year Review: Script Analysis

The story for the movie is very rudimentary: two guys in love with the same girl and the same trophy (note: aforementioned girl and trophy aren’t the same.) Even if you make many exceptions for the story – with all the repeated stereotypes – nothing disappoints you like the pathetic explanations in the end. The outburst at the climax deserved to be much stronger. Maybe St T’s (as we’re supposed to call this institution) is based in some wonderland where everyone comes to school in designer clothes (including Abhimanyu, whom we are led to believe belongs to the lower economic ‘Bata’ club) and Mercedes Benzs to school, but this la-la-land also doesn’t require a minimum age for a driving license or for drinking alcohol in clubs/discos. Then there are the parts which are just for the sake of making you go “Aww…” like Abhimanyu’s grandmother’s illness. But the humour quotient is bang on.

Rensil Dsilva’s screenplay is alright but Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues are pretty good.

Student Of The Year Review: Star Performances

With three big debutantes in the movie, it is a bit difficult to pick and choose, but my vote goes for Sidharth Malhotra as Abhimanyu. He’s the sweet charming boy who steals your heart with his sighs. Varun Dhawan does very well as the spoilt brat but there are a few places where he needs to buck up. Alia Bhatt ends up with a very dumb-blonde role who has to do standard ramp poses for the camera but she performs ably. Undoubtedly, Varun is the best dancer among all three.

Rishi Kapoor is perfect as the closet-gay dean. Sana Saeed only gets to pout and flaunt her body as Tanya. Ram Kapoor is very good as the latent villain. Kajol’s guest appearance is a pleasant surprise (though I would have loved it if Shah Rukh Khan had a special act as a guest teacher or something).

Student Of The Year Review: Direction, Music & Technical Aspects

Karan Johar’s direction is very good but flounders with the script. Cinematography by Ayananka Bose is sleek. Deepa Bhatia’s editing is very good. The lyrics are pretty lazy; Ishq Wala Love  gives you an idea that there’s not much effort into it. Vishal-Shekhar’s music is very youthful, and sometimes nuanced.

Student Of The Year Review: The Last Word

Student Of The Year has some really earnest performances and entertaining comedy scenes. Other than that it’s a staple Karan Johar affair: ridiculous in parts and dramatic in others.

Student Of The Year Trailer

Student Of The Year released on 19th October, 2012.

Share with us your experience of watching Student Of The Year.

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125 COMMENTS

  1. I just saw crap film of Karan , I feel u live in fairy world , You are such a girl … I will call this film worst film of the year

  2. i thnk dat his is vry vry nice movie…………and amazing movie….with all the qualities…….and karan johar is the best in directing.and the music of the film is superb…there is all types of songs romantic,rockingand much more….this s vry vry nice movie…….but it will not be fair…..to give less than 3 stars….over all superb movie….and i will give 4 stars to the movie…..after all i hve seen dis movie…………

  6. Haha.i wanted to watch this movie after seeing one of another review which rated the movie 4 stars,which i was not impressed of,now after reading koimoi’s review,i am confident this movie is worth to wait until dvd comes out…so its LOOPER all the way this weekend.

  12. Just saw the second show today.
    As a fantasy and unrealistic film- Awesome
    as in reality- SHIT

    im with 2.5/5 or maybe 3 for the awesome music.
    The movie seems kinda out of place sometimes…but overall- a good watch. and just ONE TIME watch.

    Alia- ur as good as a prop used on set. U hardly had any role
    Varun- amazing dancer! but leave the guitar alone.
    Sid- I just LOVE you!! ur just awesome and amazing! rooting up for you

    oye sudo and paji.. u guys were the best couple!

  16. STUDENT OF D YEAR
    Nice movie wid a beautiful msj-
    Frndship more PRECIOUS dan LOVE
    :)
    N
    Ma GOD , d guest appearance of KAJOL…..
    At dat moment ol whistled n clapped ;)
    doz sexy dance steps……..

    Kajol plzzzzz it”s time 4 ur grand-comeback ;)

    N
    Nice 2 c fresh faces n comedy scenes :)
    3/5

  19. Isse boring movie maine aaj tak nahi dekhi hai…Actress of this movie is not a good looking..she is ugly..Give it a Miss 0.5/5

  23. What an awsm movie!!!!! Acting of both sid n varun is mind blowing… Great story n super cool friend story….from me 4 1/2 */5…

  26. Karan sir maine aapki abhi tak saari movies dekhi h but soty is a awesom movie nd plzzzzzz
    one more actess u add which is sonal chauchan ?

    nd sonal chauhan ,varun ,siddhath ,alia

    in sbko lekar ek aur frndshp pr movie banaiye plzzzzz sir ?????

  30. i did not see like this movie in my life,movie is super ,.i do not have any speak of my side .both given a good performs ,,but varun is best .we saw future actor in varun . i have given %100 out of 100

  32. hellow sir y shyad apkain liyain suprisable na ho but it’s true k ohhh” sorry fstly i introduce my self my name is gaurav i m 20 yrs old m india k ek muzaffarnagar distc m rahata hu aur ghar-ghar ja kar bachoin ko private tution padhata hu manain aaj tak kai filmain dekhi pr sirf ghar k TV p actually m ek middell class famali s belong karta hu jishkain karan mari all demand ek limit m rahiti h morning 5’O’ clock uthna phir 10:30 p tution padhanain jana aur rat ko 9:30 p free hona m college m padta hu aur apni study rat roz 5hours karta hu is bich m kabhi college nhi ja pata pichilain 5 years s mara koi friend nahi h actually m apko y sb islayn bata raha hu ki apki film m ek machimg point h jo mari life s milta h M JITNA CHATA HU aur apni college life enjoy karna chata ho life m sakdoin sacrifices k karan m kabhi kuch kr nhi paya apki film dhaknain k bad marain man m shiruf ek hi wish thi k kas marain bhi koi friend hota pichalain 5 years s m dost na honain ko +ive point mankar khud ko samjha latain tha pr ab man karta h k kash maea bhi koi frnd hota kash m aap s mil pata 7520876722 y mara phon no. h. i wish u read this and call me suprisingelly bat y h ki manain aj tk shirf 1 film hi cinema hall m dakhi h aur vo apki s.o.t.y. h aur sahayad agay kabhi koi film dhakunga b nahi y mari 1st film h jo manain cinema hall m dakhi h mujhain apki film bhout achi lagi aur koshish karunga ki ki apki agay ani vali filmain dekh sakhu aur ha m last 5year s kabhi computre p nahi bathain hu to is liyain kishi mistake k liyain sorry bus aur nahi likh sakta aur likhunga to roo padunga good bye all of u

  37. helllow all of you u M RAGHOWN ROI frm delhi u had made a super fab movie actually i wana to give u a nw title of this film MOVIE OF THE YEAR

  39. ACTUALLY I LIKE ALL THREE OF BUT ALL THEY HAVE SOME DIFFERENT QUALITY LIKE VARUN IS VERY GOOD DANSER And sidhart act well and alisha is looking so cute and beautiful

  41. awmsm movie no wrds abt karan sir sid bhai alia raohan bhai congrats to whole bteam of soty and specially three students sid varun alia and karan sir i also wana wnt to becm model bt kaise i donot knowi wnt to tak u karan sir aur sid bhai bt i know it is im psble anywhys congrats all of u and all the best fr frthr film…………

  54. the movie is osssam …………. alia came toooooooo sweeeeetttttt ……….. sid came ok ……………..varun came very very very very handsome I saw the movie about 101 times I din’t felt bore ossam movie 3 of them did ossam act and dance

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