Shanaya Kapoor rings in 27 with spooky bash before After Dark

Shanaya Kapoor turned 27 on November 2, and instead of a traditional birthday setup she leaned into the season. The actor hosted an intimate, Halloween-inspired dinner, complete with candlelit tables, red roses and skull-themed decor.

Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan and Ananya Panday joined the celebration, part of Shanaya’s close filmi circle. In a social media post, she wrote, “best birthday with my witches!!!!”

A small party with big filmi energy

The pictures show a cosy gathering around a carefully styled table. The Halloween mood ran through the details — candles, roses and skull decorations — while Shanaya and her friends posed together.

It is the kind of low-key, friend-forward birthday that has become a signature for young Bollywood stars, who often turn private milestones into a small, stylised moment for fans.

Why the birthday spotlight matters right now

The party arrives just as Shanaya moves into a new professional chapter. She is preparing for Student of the Year: After Dark, the darker spin on the Student of the Year franchise.

The trailer, released on Tuesday, sets the story at St Theresa — the school from the first two films — but replaces the original’s bright competition with secrecy and terror. Shanaya plays twin sisters. The trailer opens with the death of Aisha, whose frozen body is shown drowned. Her sister Aditi then begins looking for answers and revenge.

Here is what we know so far:

• Shanaya plays twins, Aisha and Aditi, in a story involving death, revenge and a secret competition.
• The series is produced by Dharmatic Entertainment and directed by Reema Maya.
• The cast also includes Abhinav Singh, Divik Sharma, Manya Grover, Deeya Damani, Adi Malik, Sheeba Chaddha and Vivek Gomber.
• Student of the Year: After Dark begins streaming on JioHotstar on November 13.

From winning to surviving

The original Student of the Year was about the dream of winning. After Dark appears to be about the cost. As more teenagers enter the plot, a secret competition emerges, with contestants wearing outfits that recall Squid Game and consequences that appear to include death.

That tonal shift is a smart streaming move: it gives the franchise a grittier hook while keeping the St Theresa connection fans already know. For Shanaya, it also reframes the birthday headlines as a lead-in to a much spookier on-screen turn.

Watch the trailer if you want a fuller sense of the mystery, and mark November 13 on the calendar for the JioHotstar premiere.

Source: India Today