Karan Johar’s Student of the Year wasn’t just a remake of past films!

There have been rumors of Karan Johar’s latest directorial venture, Student of the Year, swaying towards Karan Johar’s first directorial venture, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. This is particularly because of 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?”

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year is a 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!

"I had decided to become an actress when I was much younger,” says Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt has quickly turned popular after her successful debut in Karan Johar’s latest release titled Student of the Year. She starred in the film’s lead alongside two more debutants, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan, both of who vie for her attention in this campus romance. The 19-year-old is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan and hails from a strong filmy background, with Pooja Bhatt for an elder sister.

However, being young and a fresher hasn’t kept Alia Bhatt from proving her worth in front of the cameras. "There are actresses who started working at a very young age. Like my sister (Pooja Bhatt) started working when she was 17. So age doesn't matter," says Alia. "I had decided to become an actress when I was much younger. It was a conscious decision. I just didn't know it would happen as soon as I finish my college".

Being from one of the most illustrious families in B-town didn’t keep Alia from choosing to launch her career with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions instead. “If a doctor’s son wants to be a doctor, he’s sent to a medical school to study. In the same way, I want to go out and study acting for myself. If I had started off with my father’s film, it would’ve all been too easy,” says Alia.

That apart, Alia wasn’t handpicked for this Karan Johar directorial venture. Instead, the pretty young actress was required to audition for the film to prove her knack for the big screen. "I had decided that I would not start off with my father's production only because it's an easier option. For this film, I had to work for it, like lose weight, prove myself, etc. There were around 500 girls who had given the auditions along with me."

Bollywood’s biggest names, Karan Johar and Salman Khan, rumored to have teamed up

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that a filmmaker like Karan Johar is indeed one of India’s biggest names in the movie fraternity. Well, when a well established producer like him teams up with one of B-town’s biggest heroes, Salman Khan, the duo is bound to make magic. That’s pretty much what could happen soon as rumors of Salman Khan and Karan Johar planning a project together has surfaced recently.

There is no denying the fact that the Dharma Productions honcho is intrigued by the actor. Every one of Salman Khan’s recent films has been crowned as blockbusters. The actor is one of the most successful members of the Bollywood industry and is also one of the highest earning actors. With a tremendous fan base who’ve been following Salman Khan’s style to his skin, the actor has garnered a load of attention in the last few years. "Salman's star power goes beyond his films. People go to see a film just because it has Salman Khan. He is more than just a superstar," said Karan, who had roped in Salman for his directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998.

So far, Karan Johar has directed five films, all of which have been extremely well-received by the audiences. Teaming up with Salman Khan who has starred in blockbusters like Wanted, Ready, Bodyguard and Dabangg is bound to develop into something exceptionally unconventional and successful!

Student of the Year, Karan Johar’s campus blockbuster

Karan Johar is known as a multifaceted filmmaker and for good reason. The Dharma Productions chief has unveiled five directorial ventures till today and has covered some of the most important subjects that relate to our day to day lives. With his first film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Karan Johar showcased bubblegum romances and teenage love. 

His latest film, Student of the Year, brought to life campus romances yet again. The film released on the 19th of October, 2012, and starred debutants Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. The film revolves around the lives of three students at a premium educational academy, St. Teresa’s High School, Dehradun. Presided over by a gay school dean named Yogendra Vasisht (Rishi Kapoor), the school has organized a Student of the Year competition annually to decide the best student at school. Abhimanyu Singh (Siddharth), a newbie at school, is introduced to a new life, different from that of his middle-class upbringing. He ends up befriending Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan), a rich and affluent boy. He also crosses paths with Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt), the prettiest girl at school while hanging out with her boyfriend Rohan.

As time flies, a love triangle ensues, with Abhi falling in love with Shanaya, despite the fact that her boyfriend is his best friend. Shanaya unknowingly finds herself falling for Abhi, reciprocating his feelings. When her boyfriend finds out, things fall apart and a rivalry grows between the boys.

Alia Bhatt learns Bharatanatyam for her next film, 2 States

The 19-year-old daughter of the filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has been constantly in the news off-late, grabbing headlines after the release of her debut in Student of the Year. The youngster played a rich girl who also happens to be the most gorgeous girl on campus in the film and starred in the lead alongside newcomers Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan. It’s been months since the film released but that surely hasn’t turned the limelight away from Alia. The actress has gone on to sign her next film, also produced by Karan Johar. The Dharma Productions chief directed and produced Student of the Year. The upcoming film will be a film adaptation of the bestselling book by author Chetan Bhagat titled 2 States.

In the upcoming film, Alia Bhatt will play the role of a South Indian girl. To fit into her role perfectly well, just the way she did in Student of the Year, the ever-diligent has taken up dance classes. Unlike her debut however, Alia will not be seen dancing to thumping club beats. Instead, the actress will dance to more traditional Indian tunes in the film and is learning the Bharatanatyam form. Alia is looking forward to perfect her role in the film and is leaving no stone unturned to polish her character to perfection.

In the film, Alia will star in the lead alongside Arjun Kapoor of Ishaqzaade fame. The film revolves around the romantic tale of a north Indian Punjabi boy who falls in love with a south Indian Iyengar girl. 2 States is a co-production by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions banner and producer Sajid Nadiadwala.

Karan Johar’s mentee, Siddharth Malhotra, denies rumors of dating a Costa Rican model!

Model-turned-actor Siddharth Malhotra needs no introduction. Considered to be one of tinsel-town’s most promising actors, Siddharth Malhotra starred in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year alongside Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt.

However, for the gorgeous and handsome Siddharth Malhotra, acting didn’t come easily. The actor had to work hard to fit into his character for the film. "It has not been an easy journey. I started my career with modeling and then worked with Karan as an assistant director. At that time I had never imagined that he will cast me as a lead actor in his movie," says Siddharth. Quoting Karan Johar, “He (Siddharth Malhotra) somehow met someone at Dharma Productions and got the job of a trainee assistant director (AD) on My Name is Khan. My Name Is Khan was an expansive shoot, but he lasted all through and was one of the finest ADs of the film."

That said, Siddharth Malhotra has managed to gather a huge fan-base, particularly made up of teenage girls who simply can’t get enough of the debutant. The actor was last rumored to be dating a Costa Rican model named Natalie, leaving the better half of his fan-base disappointed! Siddharth and Natalie apparently met when the former visited the United States for My Name Is Khan. However, these dating rumors were proved to be untrue. The actor has also been said to be dating his SOTY co-star, Alia Bhatt. These rumors too were trashed by the young actors.

"Alia never liked me earlier because I didn't say,” says Varun Dhawan!

Acting in a film isn’t easy, particularly when you’re a newcomer and cast alongside two more debutants! Usually, having a seasoned actor act with you proves to be a boon. However, Karan Johar’s students, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt seemed to have no qualms starring in the lead, even though they were fresh and new! Well, that does speak volumes about the trio’s skills and Karan Johar’s mentoring skills. The film, obviously, was a hit and grabbed a load of attention, giving this trio a perfect stepping stone to success.
Now, while Alia, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun seemed to be perfectly at ease together on-screen, the youngsters didn’t really gel that well in reality at first. While Siddharth Malhotra and Varun hit it off instantly, given the fact that the two had worked together as Assistant Directors for the film My Name is Khan, Alia took longer to bond with the guys, particularly Varun. "Alia never liked me earlier because I didn't say, 'Hi' to her on the first day. But that is because I was giving my look test and didn't see her. She was angry with me in the first one week, but then it got okay," says Varun Dhawan, the son of the filmmaker David Dhawan.

“I did not give her any attitude because we had to work together. She feels we are very good friends, but I feel that we are okay friends. We bonded on that fact that we were young on the set and didn't understand much," adds Varun. Alia Bhatt will next be seen in the film adaptation of Two States while Siddharth Malhotra will star in Hasee Toh Phasee. Varun on the other hand will make an appearance in his father’s directorial venture, Mein Tera Hero.