Student of the Year After Dark director Reema Maya defends show amid comparisons with Class, calls it an original take

Director Reema Maya says Student of the Year: After Dark follows the conventions of a young-adult murder mystery while bringing its own original approach.

Karan Johar's Student of the Year franchise has long been synonymous with campus romances and youthful drama. However, it has now undergone a makeover, with Student of the Year: After Dark turning the familiar campus setting into the backdrop for a murder mystery. Ever since the series' trailer was released, it has drawn comparisons with the Netflix show Class. Now, in an interview with Times Now, the series' director, Reema Maya, has reacted to the comparisons.

Reema Maya says Student of the Year: After Dark is an original show

Reema Maya reacts to comparisons between Student of the Year: After Dark and Class.

Reema said, “Class is a wonderful show, and Ashim Ahluwalia is an amazing filmmaker. There are certain genres that have certain expectations. If you are making a young adult murder mystery, there will be a murder, there will be a high school, there will be teenage characters and interpersonal dynamics. That is the expectation of the genre.”

She further described the series as an original take on the genre, saying, “One must understand the difference between something being derivative and something belonging to the genre. This is a young adult murder mystery and competition series. So, the fun of all those genres we have tried to bring on the table and say it in our original and unique way.”

Class is a 2023 Indian teen crime drama on Netflix, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. An adaptation of the popular Spanish series Elite, the eight-episode show is set at Delhi's prestigious Hampton International School, where three students from modest backgrounds receive scholarships and navigate a world of privilege, wealth, and discrimination. Starring Gurfateh Pirzada, Piyush Khati, Anjali Sivaraman, Ayesha Kanga and Madhyama Segal, the show offers a dark and unfiltered look at the lives of privileged teenagers and the inequalities that exist beyond the walls of their elite school.

About Student of the Year: After Dark

In an interview with Hindustan Times, director Reema Maya, who has a knack for making thrillers and horror, adds that there was no pushback from Karan when she told him about her vision for the show. “There was none (pushback); only excitement and encouragement,” she said, adding that KJo told her to ‘just push it and have fun’.

Reema said she was both surprised and honoured for being chosen to reimagine a franchise that Karan himself started: “I’m very honoured that Karan sir decided to put his faith and trust in my voice and my vision. He allowed me to reimagine a franchise that is so close to his heart.”

The series has now premiered on JioHotstar.