Jun 19, 2026 4:39pm IST
‘Cocktail 2’ Review: This Shahid Kapoor-Starrer Is A Confusing Mix Of Ideas That Is No Match For The Original
Cocktail 2 had the perfect roadmap. All they needed to do was just borrow from the original film, without any tampering and do a reboot. An updated story, three great looking actor-performers, chartbusting music, songs on beaches, great styling and a foreign location – the film had the ingredients and the recipe but somehow, you’re left with an unpleasant aftertaste. Which comes as a surprise because the mixologist at the helm is the same guy who directed the first part: Homi Adajania.
Among other things, the biggest flaw in “Cocktail 2” is that it lacks heart. Also, it is confused about its identity whether it is a love story or a romcom. The story keeps straddling the two genres and therefore making the characters look inconsistent and silly, which would have been fine if they were in a campus romance but sort of offensive in a grown-up world.
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Let’s not even get into the female characters who are shallow friends-turned-mean girls fighting over a boy. Laughs are few and far between in the first half. The fresh take is that seconds after a heartbreak, one of the primary characters returns to dance at the wedding of the loved one. There is emotional depth for a goodbye moment, ‘Channa Ve’ style, after a dialogue like, “Iss Janam Main Tera…” but it seems wasted in the frivolous proceedings. The film is rarely compelling to say the least.
What could have been a bright and bold take on modern-day relationships ends up being infuriating. After the initial charm wears off, the whole thing gets dull. The portion before the interval and after seem like two different films with a totally different tonality. It's a story that feels familiar at first, undercooked at worst, which is disappointing. But what’s worse is that it tries to manipulate the audience into believing a certain situation, which never really takes place. While the idea of infidelity was a great start point, everything else from there was downhill. The overwhelming sensation of déjà vu is exhausting.
The climax speech by the male protagonist is great. But it seems hollow because if the main character did feel all of that, then why was the audience being tricked all the time into believing something else? There are many such situations like these, giving one a feeling that the writer/s haven’t really understood the core of the relationships and characters.
Kriti Sanon and Shahid Kapoor have sizzling chemistry, and the fact that it makes you want to root for them, doesn’t work for the film. Kriti has the best part, as she gets to simultaneously play nice and nasty – and she does it with equal gusto. You'd think the combination of the trio would be good for at least a fun film. You’d be wrong. For the sake of making a comparison, the sheer zest and chutzpah of Veronica in “Cocktail” was far more believable and original than this entire film.
All “Cocktail 2” made me do is crave kadhi chawal for dinner.
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