The long awaited sequel to Homi Adajania’s 2012 hit Cocktail has arrived, and it lives up to the hype. Cocktail 2 has good performances, great music, beautiful visuals, great writing and a great ending (not only that).
Cocktail 2 is a love triangle but it doesn’t follow the traditional way of doing things. It’s not easy to stick with the tried and tested formula, the film is best with its unpredictability, and that’s its biggest strength. Homi Adajania makes sure that there is no similarity to the original or any other love story and that the love story is still in the spirit of contemporary romance but it does have the emotional depth that the first film did.
Luv Ranjan and Tarun Jain’s writing is one of the film’s strongest pillars. The first half, in the picturesque coastal areas of Sicily, Italy is very visually attractive. The colors are vivid, the soulful songs are soulful, and the chemistry between the lead actors and unexpected turns are rich and emotional.
The drama is heightened in the second half and even though the pre‑climax part does feel a bit flat, the movie ends on a satisfying note. Music from Pritam is also one of the main highlights. A love story needs a memorable soundtrack, and Cocktail 2 has three smash‑hit songs, and Mashooqa is the most significant one.
Performance-wise, Shahid Kapoor is supreme in his performance. He does a knockout job in the emotional and lighter moments in the finale. Kriti Sanon presents one of the best performances of her career in this film and she handles tough scenes with such ease and is the film’s most powerful actor. Rashmika Mandanna does her best but her character is not big enough for her, and her Hindi pronunciation needs to improve in order to play in a more meaningful way.
Cocktail 2 has all the ingredients to be a huge box office hit. It has a very unpredictable narrative and strong story, great writing and visuals, great music and strong performances that are all such fun and will go down in history.
