Karan Johar's Student Of The Year takes us back to school.
The last time I saw a movie that made me want to go to school was when I watched Johar's first film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
SOTY is a movie based on the inter-school competition taking place in St Teresa High School, Dehradun. The competition, which has been taking place in the school since 25 years, is about choosing the student of the year.
This movie introduces us to Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra, who have made promising debuts. All of them have acted brilliantly.
Varun Dhawan (Rohan Nanda) is a spoilt brat from an extremely rich family. He is the son of the biggest business tycoon of the country. Siddharth Malhotra (Abhimanyu) is from a middle class family who has entered St Teresa High School through a scholarship. Alia Bhatt is a rich, young innocent girl with designer names constantly running through her mind.
The competition on which the movie is based seems to be unrealistic. It consists of three stages -- the IQ test, the treasure hunt and the triathlon (swimming, cycling and running). Such competitions are not practical in daily life and especially not to select someone as the student of the year.
The life the students live here seem more suited to college than school. It is difficult to believe that students come to school in Ferraris and Lamborghinis. The movie is more about dressing smartly than concentrating on academics.
SOTY is a typical love story of two boys falling in love with one girl. The movie concentrates on all the elements -- love, competition and friendship -- simultaneously.
Varun and Siddharth are SOTY's backbone. Alia hasn't got too much screen space, but has played her part exceptionally well. As it's KJo's movie, we get to see beautiful costumes, great locations and awesome songs.
Alia's introduction is commendable, very unique and apt for the character she plays -- it is done through an old song that has been remixed. Two other songs, Yeh chand sa roshan chehra and Dafli waale, have also been beautifully remixed. The songs are beautifully shot.
All in all, SOTY should not be missed by KJo's fans or students. The movie doesn't have a single dull moment. The performances by the debutants are worth watching.
Despite the make-believe world and the negatives, I personally loved the movie. It's definitely worth a watch.
Rediff Rating:
Sanjari Shah attends Shri D D Nagda B B A College in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
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