Karan Johar’s fulfills campus-romance dreams with Student of the Year

For Karan Johar, directing a campus romance was a long cherished dream that the filmmaker has fulfilled with his recently released movie, Student of the Year. Starring three newcomers in the lead, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, this film is a romantic drama that revolves around the lives of three youngsters who fall in and out of love. "Whatever I think of, I make. I wanted to make a campus film about friendship, so made 'Student of the Year'. It was different for us because we worked with newcomers for the first time. The whole idea excited me, so I made the film. Shooting with newcomers was a different but not a difficult experience," said the 40-year-old filmmaker.

This is also the first time Karan Johar has directed a film without his lucky mascot and close friend Shah Rukh Khan. For all of his previous directorial ventures which include Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010), the director has had Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. For Student of the Year however, Karan decided to give the big names a skip and rope in a younger tide of actors instead. "Working with the best actors and setting up a project with movie stars was almost easy. Them doing exactly what they are capable of, which is brilliance, and me just being there and conducting this whole opera would have been wonderful, but not something I hadn't already done before. Working with first time actors, nurturing them, making sure they present themselves as movie actors, was a far more challenging experience. I felt the need to challenge myself," said Karan Johar recently.

Also, when asked about the similarities in the feel of his campus romance with the likes of previously released Hollywood movies, Karan went on to add, "I haven't even seen High School Musical and I don't think I have even seen a full episode of Glee. I don't even know how to answer the question when people ask me what the film is about. It happens to be set on a college campus and that's where the similarity ends if indeed there is any. There is no outside influence from which the story is drawn.”

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year packs all the glamour and extravagance you’d expect from a film by him. The Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt starrer released on the 19th of October and has drawn a lot of acclaim post its release.

Alia Bhatt’s debut in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year makes heads turn

Student of the Year’s director Karan Johar  has indeed given his leading newcomer trio a dream debut. Starring Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, all making their first big-screen appearances, the film is Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture. And as is the case with any young-star being launched by a production house as big as Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, Siddharth, Varun and Alia are absolutely thrilled! "We screen tested over 400 girls from across Mumbai and other cities. This is when Niranjan Iyengar told me that Mahesh Bhatt's daughter Alia was raring to go and she could just be the right fit for the film. I did her test and was convinced that she had this X factor that could work for the film," said Karan Johar.

The young actor has grabbed a load of attention with her debut in this film. Hailing from a filmy background, Alia is the daughter of director Mahesh Bhatt and the half sister of actor Pooja Bhatt. The confident and determined 19-year-old has put all skeptics to rest with her performance in the recently released film. Prior to the film’s release, Alia stated, "He (Karan Johar) has worked with the best in the industry while neither of us had ever faced the camera before. I have to ensure that he is not let down. There is a pressure of different kind. We all want to make the audience happy as once they accept you, all noises die down."

The young actor is all praise for her mentor-director Karan Johar. "I was very nervous working with Karan. I couldn't ever imagine that he would be so patient with us. He has worked with the best people and we used to give so many takes. He understood that we were newcomers and had to be guided," added Alia, praising Karan’s mentoring and his patience while filming Student of the Year.

In Karan Johar’s Student of the Year, Alia Bhatt plays the role of Shanaya Singhania, sharing screen space with Varun Dhawan who plays her boyfriend Rohan Nanda and Siddharth Malhotra donning the role of Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi.

Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan shower praises on Karan Johar’s Student of the Year

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year has gained the recognition of not just the common movie-goer but also Bollywood bigwigs including Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan! Starring Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan, all making their first big-screen appearance, the film is Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture and comes with his signature extravagant glamour.

As for Amitabh Bachchan, the veteran actor seems fascinated by the film, its cast and its soundtrack. The Actor wrote in his blog recently, "Getting to see Karan Johar`s `Student of the Year` at night has been refreshing and filled with joy... the young talent, the enthusiasm and vigor in their application, their faultless performances and the deft touch of a director who knows his craft backwards." And that’s not all. Mr. Bachchan has also been listening to the Student of the Year soundtrack repeatedly and is hooked to the album’s song, Radha. A traditional song given a modern-day touch, Radha has Shreya Ghoshal, Udit Narayan and Vishal Dadlani on vocals. "Radha from SOTY keeps us company and on repeat... the mood is happy and charged with rhythm," said Amitabh Bachchan.
And Mr. Bachchan isn’t the only Bollywood superstar praising Karan Johar’s latest film. Salman Khan has also showered the newcomer trio with praises. He recently tweeted, 'Bola tha na aap logon ko., u dint believe me. Won't tweet jst like that only if I really believe its superb. gonna see it tonite. S O T Y yaar . Matlab Student of the year' (sic).

The film Student of the Year by Karan Johar also stars actor Boman Irani’s son Kayoze Irani making his Bollywood debut and Rishi Kapoor playing the role of a gay school dean. The film also includes appearances by Sana Saeed who worked as a child artist in Karan’s first directorial venture, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
Student of the Year released on the 19th of October, 2012, and is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year, not just a remake of past films!

Karan Johar’s recent release, Student of the Year, was previously tagged by skeptics as just another love triangle glamorized by the director. Gracefully putting these claims to rest however, the movie has managed to stand out and step a league away from the traditional. Starring newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, this film has caught the attention of the masses for its fresh new appeal and modern-day feel.

There have been rumors of the film swaying towards Karan Johar’s first directorial venture, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, owing to the fact that the story follows the lives of three youngsters discovering love. Student of the Year however isn’t anything like the past film, though it does pack karan Johar’s signature glamour and extravagance. The film has also been compared to the 1992 sports-drama film, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. In regards to this, Karan has previously stated, “In the past too, while I was making K3G, it was alleged I was rehashing Kabhie Kabhie. KHNH was supposedly Anand. Now Student of the Year is Mohabbatein and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. It's amusing. Is there a dearth of stories? Why should every film be a clone of a tried and tested film?”

The film centers on the story of three youngsters at a prestigious school in Dehradun. Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi (Siddharth Malhotra), a boy from a middle-class family, enrolls at St. Teresa’s High School on a scholarship. There, he befriends the son of a business tycoon, Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan) and his childhood sweetheart, Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt). The school is presided over by the gay dean Yogendra Vasisht (Rishi Kapoor). A campus romance in essence, Student of the Year has its leading trio face the highs and lows of teenage life. As the movie proceeds, they are pitched against each other as they compete to win the Student of the Year Trophy.

A film unlike any Karan Johar has unveiled before, Student of the Year has created quite a storm at the box office and is expected to continue doing so as long as it stays on cinema screens!

Karan Johar’s ‘Student of the Year’ lives up to its expectations

Student of  The Year

Karan Johar’s 5th directorial movie ‘Student of the Year’ released on 19th October, 2012 had already created a lot of curiosity and excitement amongst the youth of the country due to its immense marketing of the lead actors and the movie. It led to an excellent buzz for the release. The day of the release arrived and as expected the opening for the movie was outstanding! Student of the Year was declared the highest opening day collection for new comers in Bollywood.

The movie starts with Rishi Kapoor who plays a role of Gay Dean of St. Teresa he is counting his last days. A few ex-students of St. Teresa visit him in the hospital and the whole story of the movie is narrated by them in form of a flashback. St. Teresa is one of the Top Universities where brilliance is discovered. The 3 characters play the role of the students of St. Teresa; all 3 of them have a unique and fresh introduction, starting with Varun Dhawan. The story starts with showcasing the cute relation of Rohan (Varun Dhawan) and Shanaya (Alia Bhatt), who are dating each other since couple of years. Rohan is a not-so-serious boyfriend and Alia is a loyal girlfriend. They have a typical high school love story.

Rohan and Shanaya are the most popular students of St. Teresa, this is when (Abhimanyu) Siddharth Malhotra enters and diverts the limelight towards him leaving Rohan extremely jealous. Siddharth Malhotra a.k.a. Abhi belongs to a middle class family who has got in through scholarship. From the first day, there is a friction between Rohan and Abhi due to their ego and competitive attitude. The story grows from there and later an incident brings them closer turning them into the best of friends. The trio of Rohan, Shanaya and Abhi have the best college life until the Dean (Rishi Kapoor) announces the ‘Student of the Year’ competition. The movie takes a huge turn from there leading to an emotional and surprising climax of the movie.

The 3 actors have done a fabulous job; it’s hard to think that they are acting for the first time. The supporting cast deserve 3 cheers! Rishi Kapoor pulls the character of a Gay Dean gracefully; Kayoze Irani lives up to his father’s name and his vital part in the climax makes everyone want to applaud for him. In conclusion, the entire movie is a complete entertainer with a perfect blend of friendship, jealousy, life of a student, ambition, passion and all the ingredients required to make a ‘paisa vasool’ movie.

Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan rumored to have been offered more films!

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year has been attracting the masses to multiplexes and single-screens around the country. The film is termed as one of Karan Johar’s most glamorous directorial ventures and as expected, Student of the Year is indeed an extravagant piece of eye-candy. A debut for newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, the film hit cinema screens on the 19th of October, 2012.

After a praise-worthy performance in the first film, Siddharth, Varun and Alia are now rumored to have signed a second film with the veteran director. “In a star-ridden industry such as ours, launching new talents on such a large scale is always a risk. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I have never felt more proud,” said Karan Johar before the film released. The director has been showering the trio with acclaim and seems to have made quite the right choice roping them in for his fifth film. This is the first time Karan Johar has worked with newcomers in the lead, and given the fact that Siddharth, Varun and Alia have successfully managed to grab hearts; the director might just cast them for yet another project!

Apart from this, there have also been rumors of Varun Dhawan signing his next with his brother Rohit Dhawan. Quoting filmmaker David Dhawan, the father of Varun and Rohit, “I’ve a director and a leading man at home. I am very keen to start my own home banner. But I had to wait. Neither of my sons wanted to make his debut in a home production. They wanted to prove themselves outside the comfort zone.” There have also been rumors of Siddharth Malhotra being offered a two film deal by producer Ekta Kapoor before. None of these reports have been confirmed by the actors however.

In Student of the Year, Siddharth Malhotra plays Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi, a student at a prestigious school who has a soft corner for the campus sweetheart Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt). Abhi is made to choose between love and his friendship with Shanaya’s boyfriend, the rich son of a business tycoon, Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan). The film also includes Rishi Kapoor donning the role of a gay and perfectionist dean, Yogendra Vasisht and Boman Irani’s son Kayoze Irani making his Bollywood debut.

Filmmaker showers Karan Johar with praises for Student of the Year

Karan Johar

Karan Johar  has just pulled the veil off his fifth directorial venture titled Student of the Year, and as expected of a Karan Johar film, this movie has gained a load of attention with movie-buffs pouring into cinema halls across India. The movie stars three new-faces in the lead, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. Making their first big-screen appearances, these young actors have performed extremely well, despite their freshness. Released on the 19th of October, 2012, Student of the Year is currently doing exceptionally well.

And it isn’t only everyday movie-goers who have been showering this movie with praise. Filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt has been showering Karan Johar’s fifth with praise. "It`s a blockbuster. If you have to give the trophy to someone, then it has to be Karan Johar. Hats off to him for making such a good and a big film with newcomers. So if you ask me, the star is Karan Johar," says the filmmaker. For him, Student of the Year is a revolutionizing movie that will give the Bollywood industry a new taste and landscape. "This film will change the landscape of the industry, I can assure you. The new generation is going to take over and thank god. High time new generation comes and takes over," says Mukesh.

Quoting Mukesh Bhatt, "This film will change the landscape of the industry, I can assure you. The new generation is going to take over and thank god. High time new generation comes and takes over." Also, the film’s female lead Alia Bhatt is the niece of Mr. Bhatt. Impressed by Karan’s flair for creating movies, the filmmaker has also acclaimed the performances of the film’s leading trio. "If you tell me to give marks, then I will give all three of them 100 out of 100 and this is not a diplomatic statement. All three of them are wonderful," added the filmmaker.

A trend-breaking film, both for Karan Johar as well as the Bollywood industry as a whole, this campus romance is expected to keep theaters bursting with folks looking for a dose of entertaining and enjoyable cinema.

Rishi Kapoor takes up character role for Karan Johar’s SOTY; to play gay character in the film

Rishi Kapoor as Gay in SOTY

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor is known for the romantic roles he has played in Bollywood films in the past, making big screen appearances for nearly 25 years. . The actor has recently begun taking up character roles however, and seems extremely pleased with the experience. After having played the character of Rauf Lala in the remake of Agneepath produced by Karan Johar recently, Mr. Kapoor will now star in yet another unconventional role, one unlike any he has ever played before. The actor will play the gay and eccentric Dean Yogendra Vasisht in the upcoming film. Quoting Rishi Kapoor speaking about his role in Student of the Year, "Yes, my character is soft on Ronit in Student of the Year. Why not? I play the dean of the college. And yes, my character is gay.  It's one of the most important roles of my career at the moment. This is the time of my career when I get to experiment. I don't want to play the conventional father. Besides, I can't say no to Karan."

Student of the Year director Karan Johar has been all praise for the actor and recently posted on Twitter saying, “Such an honor to work with Rishi Kapoor... his versatility is unreal... Rauf lala to his portrayal of Dean Yoginder Vasisht in SOTY... genius!" the actor himself is enthusiastic about the upcoming movie. Karan Johar’s first film with newcomers in the lead, Student of the Year stars Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. Speaking about the young actors and Karan Johar, Rishi articulated, “All the young kids are terrific. Whatever I’ve seen of the film, they’re very talented and focused, waiting on the threshold of a big career. It’s great victory for Karan, to make a film on this scale with newcomers. In today’s times, no one risks his money and position, especially at the stage where Karan is. It’s great for a man of his stature to spend enormous money on this film. He said his way of making a movie is the same, only the hero has changed. He has the guts, the gall to make a film with his vision, thinking. All the credit for SOTY goes to Karan.”

Karan Johar’s upcoming film Student of the Year with Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Rishi Kapoor will hit theater screens shortly, on the 19th of October, 2012.

Student of the Year director Karan Johar prefers staying single!

Karan Johar

Director-producer Karan Johar has been pestered for spills and leaks in regards to his personal life. Silent and with lips sealed shut, the veteran director has chosen to keep his life at home away from his profession of making movies. A filmmaker unlike any other, Karan Johar started directing movies over a decade ago and has rolled out one blockbuster after another, with each of his films managing to give the box office a hay day. Now 40 and cool, composed and mature as ever, Karan Johar has in the pipeline yet another film titled Student of the Year. A campus-romance and Karan’s first with a newcomer cast, the film stars Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in the lead.

When asked to articulate his thoughts on marriage in a recent interview with Hindustan Times Café, Karan Johar said, “I believe there are some really beautiful and immaculately solid marriages still! In fact I know how much my father meant to my mother. What a beautiful marriage they had and I am blessed to have grown up in such a marriage. I feel what a spouse can do for you, no child or parent can. Just that if you get the right connect with your spouse, you get it going right.” There have been rumors of the director tying the knot before, all of which however were later confirmed to be untrue.

Karan has also previously stated that being single has kept him happier. Quoting Karan Johar in regards to this, “Right now I am not ready for any kind of relationship as I am too used to my independence. Marriage is a definite no-no. I am totally married to my company. Emotionally, my mother fills up the void in my life. So there it is. My company is a spouse I will never cheat on, and my mother completes me as a son. I think I have a full family unit of my own. I am happy probably because I am single. Let’s face it, how many married people are really happy? Just kidding (laughs)!”

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year will mark the debut of Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt and will release on the 19th of October, 2012.

Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt feature on L'Officiel magazine cover

Student of the Year’s debutants Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt have been making heads turn lately with pictures of the trio turning up nearly everywhere. Camera-ready and extremely photogenic, the three newcomers together been featured on the cover of the Filmfare magazine. Recently, Siddharth, Varun and Alia have also graced the cover of the latest edition of L'Officiel. Clad in chic outfits, the young actors seem to have mastered stardom and are termed as some of Bollywood’s most promising newcomers. While Siddharth and Varun sport handsome blazers, Alia gracefully dons a floral outfit on the cover of this glossy.

Besides these appearances on renowned magazines, Siddharth, Varun and Alia along with director Karan Johar have also been promoting the film across India and overseas as well. The actors have attended promotional events at the Eternity Mall in Nagpur, Pune’s Indira College, the Podar College in Mumbai, AIIMS-Delhi, Dayananda Sagar Institution (DSI) in Bangalore and also the Infiniti Mall in Mumbai. Apart from this, they have also promoted Student of the Year at a west-London cinema and in Dubai.

The actors, making their first big screen appearances with Student of the Year, will enjoy a dream debut with this Karan Johar film. While model-turned-actor Siddharth Malhotra has no filmy background to fall back on, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt both come from Bollywood-based families. Working hard to perfect their onscreen personas, the trio has been showered with praises by fans and their director-mentor, Karan Johar. As articulated by the Dharma Productions chief, "The film is a big responsibility on Dharma Production's shoulders and mine. We are launching the career of three new faces through this film - Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra. All of them are very promising and talented. So, we as a production house have to make sure that we stand up to the expectation of all."

Student of the Year is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. The film will also include debut appearances by actor Boman Irani's son Kayoze Irani and actress Sana Saeed and will release on the 19th of October, 2012.

For Karan Johar, the upcoming Siddharth Malhotra-starrer is a “big responsibility”

The upcoming film Student of the Year is just a week away from hitting cinema screens and has managed to create quite a buzz. Directed by Karan Johar, the film will star three newcomers making their first appearances on the big screen, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. The film is Karan Johar’s first with debutant actors and without his close friend and lucky mascot, Shah Rukh Khan.

For Karan Johar, the upcoming film is more than just one of his several directorial ventures. Quoting Karan, “The film is a big responsibility on Dharma Production's shoulders and mine. We are launching the career of three new faces through this film - Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra. All of them are very promising and talented. So, we as a production house have to make sure that we stand up to the expectation of all”. While Siddharth Malhotra is a model-turned-actor with no background in the film industry, Varun Dhawan is the son of director David Dhawan. Alia Bhatt on the other hand is the daughter of director Mahesh Bhatt and the half-sister of Pooja Bhatt.

Siddharth and Varun have worked with Karan Johar before, assisting the director during the making of the film My Name Is Khan. Noticing their knack for the big-screen, Karan quickly roped the duo in for his upcoming film. “Siddharth Malhotra as well as Varun Dhawan had assisted me in “My Name Is Khan” and were involved in the process of production right throughout. Moreover they also observed me quite closely as a director. What I like about them is that they are totally different from each other, be in terms of personality or energy. I realized that they had the faces that were for cinema and it was about time that they were seen on the big screen,” says Karan Johar.

In Student of the Year, Siddharth Malhotra plays Abhimanyu Sing aka Abhi. Alia Bhatt stars as Shanaya Singh while Varun Dhawan will be seen playing the role of her boyfriend Rohan Nanda. Catch Karan Johar’s next at a cinema near you on the 19th of October, 2012.

Siddharth Malhotra debuts as Abhimanyu Singh in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year will soon hit cinema screens across the world and will launch the careers of tinsel-town’s newest inhabitants, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. Fresh-faces to the big-screen, Siddharth, Varun and Alia will make their Bollywood debuts with this film. Karan Johar’s first film with newcomers, Student of the Year is one of the most anticipated releases.

Being launched by one of the biggest production houses isn’t written in the destiny of many. For Siddharth Malhotra, a model-turned-actor with no filmy background, Karan Johar’s next is a dream debut. Unlike his co-stars Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, both of who hail from families strongly based in Bollywood, Siddharth Malhotra had to make his way up from scratch and the young actor seems to have successfully overcome it all! Quoting Siddharth, “The only disadvantage in being from outside is doing filmy things. I’m not so dramatic and not comfortable doing over-the-top things. When you look at Shah Rukh Khan, it’s not what he sings on screen, but how he sings too. He sings (lip-syncs) with so much passion and love. This was a challenge at least for me.”

Karan Johar on the other hand is all praise for his leading trio. Speaking about the boys in the film Karan went on to add, “We did workshops and they were found to be right for the roles. They have this enduring charm to them and though they had some rough edges, I knew that they had potential to face the camera. Moreover after watching the film, you would realize that they have this correct celluloid presence. While Siddharth has the right restraint to play Abhi, Varun carries good enough flamboyance to play Rohan.” Siddharth and Varun have worked with Karan Johar previously, assisting the director during the making of the film My Name Is Khan.

In the upcoming film Student of the Year, Siddharth Malhotra plays the role of Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi, a righteous and self-dependent student. Alia Bhatt plays the high-school sweetheart Shanaya Singhania while Varun Dhawan stars as her swaggering rich boyfriend Rohan Nanda. Together, the three are faced with the highs and lows of teenage life in school. The film also stars veteran actor Rishi Kapoor playing a gay dean of the school.

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year will release on the 19th of October, 2012.

Karan Johar keeps his upcoming film Student of the Year short

Director, producer, television host and reality-show judge Karan Johar has been known to give all of his films a dash of extravagance and glamour. More than just feature films, Karan Johar’s creations are termed as sagas that take viewers through time-frames and periods. And given the fact that all of his films have been meticulously detailed, without leaving out crucial inputs, Karan Johar’s films remain particularly long.

Till date, the Dharma Productions chief has directed four films, making his debut as a director in 1998 with the film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Stretched to 185 minutes, the film was followed by Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001). This film starred Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor in the lead and plays for 211 minutes. His longest film, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, runs for a whopping 215 minutes and chronicles the lives of characters played by Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. His latest directorial venture titled My Name Is Khan on the other hand was timed at 161 minutes.

Karan Johar’s next, Student of the Year, is marked as the director’s shortest film. Starring newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan, the film will follow the trend of contemporary movies and stay short. “Yes this is going to be the shortest film of my career. Though I am yet to arrive at the final cut, it should be around 135-140 minutes at maximum,” said Karan Johar. The director has also been reported to have overshot the film. In regards to this, he adds, “We have some days of shooting still left. I think I am making a sequel along with the film. I think it’s a never-ending saga... though it’s a fun-frolic, happy film. But I may have overshot it a tad."

Shorter films are known to do well at multiplexes, allowing a larger number of shows to be featured on a daily basis. The upcoming Student of the Year film will be produced jointly by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. The film will be Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan’s first big screen appearance and will release on the 19th of October, 2012.

Rishi Kapoor plays gay character in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year

This October, Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture will hit cinema screens across the world. Titled Student of the Year, this movie is marked as a trend-breaker and is set apart from Karan’s previous films. A campus-romance starring Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, Student of the Year is one of the year’s most anticipated films. This is also the trio’s first big-screen appearance and is expected to give the box office a hay day.

Besides Siddharth, Varun and Alia, the film also stars veteran actor Rishi Kapoor and television stars Ram Kapoor and Ronit Roy. Known as one of Bollywood’s finest romantic actors of the days gone by, Rishi Kapoor will play a bold and eccentric character in Karan Johar’s next. The actor will don the role of a gay college dean named Yogendra Vasisht. A role unlike any other Rishi Kapoor has played before, his performance in the upcoming film is well anticipated. In Student of the Year, Yogendra Vasisht is projected to have a soft corner for Ronit Roy’s character. "Yes, my character is soft on Ronit in Student of the Year. Why not? I play the dean of the college. And yes, my character is gay.  It's one of the most important roles of my career at the moment. This is the time of my career when I get to experiment. I don't want to play the conventional father. Besides, I can't say no to Karan," says Rishi Kapoor. The role was rumored to be initially meant for Karan Johar’s close friend and lucky charm Shah Rukh Khan. The superstar will however make no appearances in the film. On the other hand, Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment has lent a hand in the film’s production along with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.

In Student of the Year, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt will play the roles of Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi, Rohan Nanda and Shanaya Singhania. After being enrolled at an esteemed school in Dehradun, the three meet, become friends, fall in love and eventually compete with each other to win the prestigious Student of the Year Trophy.

Student of the Year will hit cinema screens on the 19th of October, 2012.

Karan Johar’s upcoming Student of the Year will lack a premiere

The hype around Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture titled Student of the Year is well justified indeed. The film is one of the year’s most anticipated movies and will see the launch of three fresh faces, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. However, against plans inked before, Karan Johar’s upcoming film will have no premiere. Given the fact that Karan Johar and his trio have been busy with promotional activities for the film, a grand and glamorous film premiere will be shed away.

"I would like to present them; I wish we had the schedule and time. I wanted to hold a grand premiere and officially introduce them (the new actors) to the movie industry. But our marketing plans are so extensive, city visits, international travel," says Karan Johar. The film’s cast along with the veteran director has been visiting several venues across the country to promote Student of the Year. Siddharth, Varun and Alia have made appearances at Eternity Mall in Nagpur, Pune’s Indira College, the Podar College in Mumbai, AIIMS-Delhi and more recently, the Dayananda Sagar Institution (DSI) in Bangalore and the Infiniti Mall in Mumbai. The young actors and their mentor-director have also travelled abroad to promote the film and were spotted at a west-London cinema and a press-conference in Dubai.

According to Karan Johar, a full-fledged film premiere requires time and dedication. Fitting one in Student of the Year’s schedule wasn’t ideal, though the director-producer did wish for a perfect launch for his films and the trio of youngsters. "If we have to keep a premiere we need to give it a lot of time, in terms of we need to give a lot of respect to the while calling the industry, seat them well, make sure the event is nice. So we may not get the time. I never kept a premiere after 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' but I wanted to for this film," said the director-producer of the film, Karan Johar.

The film will release on the 19th of October, 2012 and is being produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.

Karan Johar’s Siddharth Malhotra-starrer Student of the Year does well with distributors

You know a film has been marketed just right when, besides the hordes of movie-goers, the industry shows a load of interest as well. Such is the case with Karan Johar’s upcoming film titled Student of the Year. The fifth movie directed by Karan Johar, following his previous films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010), Student of the Year will star three newcomers in the lead, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt.

As per reports, distributors have considered the upcoming film by Karan Johar to be a goldmine of sorts. According to distributor Anil Thadani, “More than the trade, what is important to note is the curiosity among the audience at large. Despite featuring newcomers, this is a big-scale film like a Khanstarrer and people are looking forward to watching it in the cinemas. Siddharth, Varun and Alia seem to have already been accepted by the audience.” This simply goes to prove just how well the film could do once released. And the novelty of this Karan Johar directorial venture isn’t all that’s driving the masses in. the film’s soundtrack has received a tremendous response and has set feet tapping across webspace. “After long, we have a complete album that has been so widely appreciated. People are loving Vele as much as they’re loving Ishq Wala Love and The Disco Song. I won’t be surprised if this breaks the clutter and does big numbers at the box office,” says Thadani.

Also, Karan Johar has stated previously that his love for films certainly doesn’t revolve around the profits they rake in. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I just made a film to make money. There has to be more to the film even if there’s a chance that it may go wrong. And I have gone wrong. I have made films that haven’t worked. But I have never made films just for money. I’d never make a film which people would call a package. That would kill me,” says Karan. The director has been known to spend extravagantly on his films, all of which have managed to score well at the box office.

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year will release on the 19th of October, 2012.

Student of the Year director Karan Johar has no plans for directing television shows

Karan Joahr

Dharma Productions chief Karan Johar has been rolling out big-budget films since quite a while now. The director-producer has been known to set extraordinary budgets for his films in the past. While his first film titled Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) was produced for Rs. 8.33 crore, Karan Johar went on to spend Rs. 40 crore and upwards for his following films, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), and My Name Is Khan in 2010. All of these films were shot in extraordinarily extravagant locales and starred the likes of Bollywood bigwigs including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan. The director has also shown his inclination towards small-screen shows.

After directing and producing several films, Karan Johar has breathed life in his television appearances once more, playing the judge for reality shows including India’s Got Talent and Jhalak Dikhla Ja. He has also successfully hosted the television talk-show Koffee with Karan previously. The filmmaker however prefers the big-screen to television. When asked about his plans to direct a TV-series, Karan Johar stated “Television is not for me behind the camera. I could be a judge, a host, but I am not sure if I could be a director over TV.” For him, the film-industry is far more progressive as compared to its younger sibling, the Indian Television industry. Quoting Karan, “Indian television has its positives and negatives. It has a huge audience and some shows are very entertaining, but I think it needs to come out of its current zone.” Karan does however plan to continue hosting and judging television shows. "One thing I would love to sit back and watch is a singing show, but I really think I would be the wrong person to judge a singing show. I can judge singing on a very surface level, but I don't have the right expertise to judge it," says Karan Johar.

Student of the Year will be Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture. The film will star newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt playing the lead, all making their first big-screen appearances. Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions will produce this upcoming film along with Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. Student of the Year will hit cinema screens on the 19th of October, 2012.

Karan Johar personally mentors Siddharth, Varun and Alia for Student of the Year

Student of the Year

For his previous films, Karan Johar has been known to splash cash around and draw up big budgets, roping in larger-than-life stars for all of his stories. After having directed Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010), all packing Bollywood bigwigs including the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar will step away from his usual mix for his upcoming film titled Student of the Year. A campus romance to be precise, the film stars newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. This however hasn’t kept Karan from setting an equally high budget for his upcoming film. The movie will be just as glamorous and glitzy as his previous releases and will work as a launch-pad for Siddharth, Varun and Alia.

When asked about his choice of actors for his next release, Karan says “In a star-ridden industry such as ours, launching new talents on such a large scale is always a risk. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I have never felt more proud.” The director, also the head of Dharma productions, has on previous account launched several directors including Punit Malhotra, Renzil D’Silva, Nikhil Advani, Tarun Mansukhani and Ayan Mukerji. This will however be his first time with new actors and the director-producer is enthusiastic about his upcoming film. “After all, there are just as many people who are big and up there. So unless we take the onus, and leverage our position to create new stars, we’ll be running dry soon. I have never worked with newcomers before. But I realized it was time and took up the challenge,” says Karan.

Besides discovering these promising newcomers, Karan Johar has also groomed and trained them, helping them master the trade of acting on the silver screen. The director has played the role of a mentor, coaching Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt for the film.  Quoting Karan Johar, “Hindi cinema has taken a quantum leap in every aspect of its functioning.” There have also been reports of the newcomers signing an exclusive contract with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. Siddharth Malhotra however rubbishes the claim and goes on to state “Please see for yourself how we do in Student Of The Year and post that, spread the word. Yes, we are free to sign up with whoever signs us up.”

Student of the Year will release on the 19th of October, 2012, and is expected to give the box-office a hay day.

Karan Johar’s next starring Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan packs surprises

Karan Johar has been grabbing news headlines and a chunk of the spotlight recently with his fifth directorial venture titled Student of the Year just around the corner. This will be his first movie without Bollywood bigwig Shah Rukh Khan. All of Karan Johar’s previous films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010) have had the superstar. Instead, Student of the Year will star three newcomers in the lead including Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. Most movie buffs might’ve sniffed out the Student of the Year plot by now. The trio of fresh faces will play the roles of three students in a high-profile school in Dehradun and will be seen facing the highs and lows of teenage life. Here’s what you probably didn’t know about the upcoming film and its stars however.

Student of the Year isn’t completely void of older actors. The film includes Rishi Kapoor playing the role of a gay Dean of the fictional St. Teresa’s High School in Dehradun. TV actors Ronit Roy and Ram Kapoor also play prominent roles in the film. Student of the Year will also include remixed versions of classic hits including “Gulabi Aankhein” and “Chand Se Roshan Chehra”. Veteran actor Kajol and director-producer Farah Khan will also make guest appearances in this upcoming film filled with surprises.

Contrary to rumors that have been scattering around recently, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan happen to be good friends. The two have worked together as Assistant Directors for the film My Name Is Khan, directed by Karan Johar, and were together mentored by the veteran director. While Siddharth Malhotra is a model-turned-actor, Varun Dhawan is the son of the director David Dhawan. Also, Siddharth and Varun will be seen on the big-screen for the first time together with co-star Alia Bhatt. The daughter of director Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan, Alia Bhatt fainted on the sets of the upcoming Karan Johar film 14 times, unable to cope with the cold and fatigue. However, none of this deterred the actor from unleashing an exceptional performance for the film. Karan Johar has been stated to have auditioned nearly 400 hopefuls before signing Alia for the film.


Karan Johar’s Student of the Year will hit theater screens on the 19th of October, 2012.

Karan Johar’s protégé Siddharth Malhotra rumored to be dating a Costa Rican model!

Siddharth Malhotra

Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan, the leading lads in the upcoming Student of the Year film have been drawing a load of attention recently. Ever since the film was first announced by director Karan Johar, the duo along with co-actor Alia Bhatt has been in the spotlight. These fresh new faces will make their silver screen debut with Student of the Year, and are considered to be some of the most promising debutants in Bollywood. Being young, charming and good-looking, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan have been able to gather quite a fan-base, mostly made up of starry-eyed teenage girls. There have also been rumors and chitchat linking up Siddharth Malhotra and at times Varun Dhawan to Alia Bhatt.

The youngsters however are both reported to be in steady ongoing relationships. Siddharth Malhotra has been known to be dating Natalie, a Costa Rican model. He met her on a trip to the United States while working as an assistant director to Karan Johar for the 2010 film “My Name Is Khan”. Varun Dhawan also assisted Karan with the direction of this movie. As for Varun, the actor is currently in a “committed relationship” with a Mumbai-based girl named Sara. Now living in the United States, Sara first met Varun while in Mumbai. Also, skeptics believe the actors to have troubles with their long-distance relationships with their new-found stardom taking the top of their priority lists.

For the dashing and absolutely gorgeous Siddharth Malhotra, the film is a dream debut. This model-turned-actor comes from no filmy background and found big-screen acting a little more difficult than his co-actors, both of who come from film-backgrounds. Quoting Siddharth, "Sometimes, I'm a bit nervous. But at most times, I'm confident. I have landed a dream debut. Karan, according to me, has the safest pair of hands in the film business.” Karan Johar sniffed out Siddharth and Varun’s knack for the silver-screen while working with them for My Name Is Khan. "One day, I was assisting Karan on My Name is Khan, and now I'm the leading man of Student of the Year. I have to pinch myself to believe this is for real,” says Siddharth.

Student of the Year will release on the 19th of October, 2012, and will be produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.

Student of the Year could be Karan Johar’s last film with younger actors

The upcoming campus-romance titled Student of the Year will be the seasoned director-producer Karan Johar’s fifth stint at direction. Starring three fresh-faces, the film has been grabbing a lot of interest and will have actors Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt play the roles of three students named Abhimanyu Singh, Rohan Nanda and Shanaya Singhania, in an esteemed institution in Dehradun. Together, the three are faced with the ups and downs of youth and end up competing against each other in a race to win the prestigious Student of the Year Trophy. The film will hit theater screens on the 19th of October 2012.

Student of the Year is Karan Johar’s first film without his lucky charm and close-friend Shah Rukh Khan. This will also be Karan’s first film with newcomers and is set apart from his previous directorial ventures. A youth-centric film in essence, Karan Johar has worked with the dialogue, screenplay, cinematography and editing for Student of the Year. The director has also choreographed the song titled Ratta Maar for the film, in the absence of a choreographer on the day the video for the same was shot.

Karan Johar seems to have captured the spirit of youth in Student of the Year and is extremely pleased with the work of Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt for the much anticipated movie. The director has been showering praises on the film’s cast and crew, admiring their diligence. After having turned 40 this year, the director has however said that this could just be his last film working with a younger cast. He has also stated before that he feels he was born old. According to him, directing the second half of “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” was a lot easier even at the age of 25. The upcoming film also made the director nostalgic, bringing back memories of his first film. After Student of the Year, Karan Johar is considering directing films with mature themes. Sharing his thoughts on a Twitter post, Karan Johar claimed that working with 20-plus actors simply makes him feel older and it was time he started working more often with the older lot.

Karan Johar has also directed movies including Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010), and his upcoming film is expected to be just as glamorous and extravagant.