Jun 19, 2026 8:30pm IST
Saif Ali Khan On ‘Cocktail’ Casting: ‘They Had Asked Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor For It’ (EXCLUSIVE)
While “Cocktail 2” releases today, the original starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty remains one of the beloved Hindi rom-coms. The 2012 relationship drama remains a modern classic that reflects a generation’s view of friendship, love and heartbreak. But the unknown fact is that Saif wasn’t the original choice to play the flawed yet charming Gautam.
In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, the actor takes a trip down memory lane and reveals that the makers initially struggled to cast the male lead — all because the female characters were just too good to pass up.
Related Stories
According to Khan, the project already had its leading ladies locked in, but finding a hero willing to share the screen with such powerhouse female characters proved challenging. “They had Deepika and Diana, but they couldn’t get a hero to play the part, probably because Veronica’s part is so delicious,” Saif shares, referring to the free-spirited character played by Padukone.
As it turns out, the script made its rounds to some of the biggest young stars before landing on his desk.
Khan didn’t hold back on the specific names that were approached before him, revealing that contemporary heartthrobs Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor were both in the running.
“I remember some names they asked. I think they had asked Imran and they had asked Ranbir. And they had asked a few people and I said, ‘Okay, chal, I’ll do it.’ And I think they should all be very thankful I did (laughs). That’s my story. Yeah, because I had great fun. I love Homi (Adajania). And we had a good time doing it.” Khan and Adajania had previously collaborated on the quirky “Being Cyrus” (2005).
While Gautam Kapoor was a character filled with flaws, often caught between the wild, vulnerable Veronica and the traditional Meera, Saif brought a unique, mature vulnerability to the role that defined early 2010s Bollywood cinema.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.