Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna turn up the glamour, humour and chemistry at Cocktail 2‘s lively trailer launch, where the team addressed if their film is a ‘queer’ love triangle.
Key Points
- Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna attended the glamorous Cocktail 2 trailer launch in Mumbai, which featured live musical performances and playful banter.
- The cast addressed rumours surrounding Rashmika and Kriti’s supposed lesbian romance in the film.
- The trailer teased a stylish love triangle packed with romance, emotional complications and provocative moments, with Cocktail 2 set to release on June 19.
Shahid Kapoor. Kriti Sanon. Rashmika Mandanna.
It was hard not to be dazzled by the sheer gorgeousness of the lead cast of Cocktail 2, and honestly, worth braving Mumbai’s punishing heat just to see them in person at the trailer launch of their new film.
Cocktail 2 is the spiritual sequel to Cocktail (2012), the film that made audiences sit up and realise that Deepika Padukone was not just stunning, but also a formidable actor. The original also starred Saif Ali Khan and Diana Penty.
Like its predecessor, Director Homi Adajania returns with another freewheeling tale of friendship, attraction and romantic entanglements, all set against exotic backdrops and fronted by three impossibly good-looking stars.
The Trailer Launch Highlights
The trailer launch was attended by Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna, along with Homi Adajania, Producers Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films and Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg of Luv Films, among others.
The ambience of the venue perfectly matched the bohemian vibe of the film though the setting itself felt like a cocktail of three C’s: Clutter, crowd and chaos.
One of the highlights of the event was the live performance of three songs from the soundtrack that have become popular online.
First up were Raghav Chaitanya and Ruaa Kayy (Harjot Kaur) performing Mashooka. During the performance, they invited Shahid, Kriti and Rashmika on stage to groove along as they sang. All three actors looked stunning, with outfits that reflected the personalities of their characters in the film.
Sunidhi Chauhan Steals the Show
Once Mashooka ended, it was Sunidhi Chauhan’s turn to take over the stage with her rendition of the same track. And honestly, she completely stole the show. Her powerhouse vocals and effortless command over those soaring notes made it the standout performance of the afternoon.
Sunidhi later returned when the three leads came back on stage, this time trying to get Shahid Kapoor to sing parts of the song with her. Shahid gamely attempted the lower notes, while Kriti joined in to loud applause from the crowd.
Rashmika, however, politely declined to showcase her singing skills.
The third live act of the event was for the party track Jab Talak.
Though there was this promise made about Shahid, Kriti and Rashmika eventually performing the song’s hook step at the end of the event, that moment, sadly, never materialised.
WATCH: The Cocktail 2 Trailer
The organisers then unveiled the trailer of Cocktail 2. It was a slickly edited promo that relied heavily on the beauty of the European locales and the magnetic appeal of its lead trio.
Written by Taran Jain and Luv Ranjan, Cocktail 2 revolves around the complicated emotional bond between three people that constantly shifts between friendship and romance.
Dinesh Vijan reveals what sets Cocktail 2 apart from Cocktail: “The first had an intense second half. This second half (of the sequel) is very, very unconventional.”
Vijan also addressed the 13-year-gap between the sequels: “I think we should make a film when, like we always say, we have the right story. So when we had the story narrated, we knew we had to make it. I must tell you, this was the quickest casting in history.
“I was talking to Shahid. I remember I was on my balcony and told him, ‘This is it. You’re a great actor, but here you have to have fun.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I’m on.’ The same happened with these two (Kriti and Rashmika). So I think it was the easiest film to cast. It was a fun ride.”
When Homi was asked if he enjoyed shooting for the first Cocktail film or the sequel, he replied, “I was younger then. I had a better time shooting this one.”
When Vijan prodded that he has no choice but to be political, the director added, “Because I live in the moment, and this is my moment right now.”
The three-minute trailer featured a few risqué moments, like a scene has Kriti’s Ally casually suggesting a threesome to Shahid’s Kunal and Rashmika’s Diya, though the insinuation could be something else.
Another scene has Kunal playfully shaking, errr… his family jewels, offscreen of course, to the sound of ringing bells before he plans to hop into bed with Diya.
The Banter Between The Cocktail 2 Team Over ‘Improvised’ Gags
Homi Adajania joked that these moments were improvised and teased Kriti for allegedly coming up with the ‘threesome’ line herself.
Luv Ranjan joined the fun and mock-questioned Kriti on why she added it to the script. Kriti instantly denied it and teasingly shot back that perhaps it reflected one of Luv’s fantasies instead.
While the team insisted that the trailer hides the film’s biggest hook, the promo strongly suggests that Shahid and Rashmika’s characters are in a relationship before Kunal begins developing complicated feelings for Kriti’s Ally during a holiday trip involving the three of them.
However, questions remain.
Why do both Ally and Diya appear dressed like brides in certain portions?
And what exactly does Diya mean when she says, ‘Hamari bewakoofi pe woh apni jaan kyun lega?’ (Why would he risk his life for our foolishness?) while arguing with Ally about Kunal.
Another major crowd-pleasing moment in the trailer was the return of Tum Hi Ho Bandhu from Cocktail (2012), playing over what appears to be a lively pre-wedding celebration, which elicited the loudest applause from the audience.
Addressing ‘Lesbian’ Love Story Rumours
While Kriti and Shahid had previously shared crackling chemistry in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024), also backed by Maddock Films and Luv Films, this marks Rashmika’s first collaboration with either actor.
Interestingly, Rashmika’s easy chemistry with Kriti sparked rumours online that the film might feature a lesbian relationship between their characters.
Naturally, the trio addressed the speculation during the event.
The actresses jokingly hinted that the rumour probably originated from one particular person while looking directly at Shahid Kapoor, who instantly denied having anything to do with it.
When a journalist asked Rashmika about her effortless camaraderie with Kriti, she revealed that they instantly bonded.
Kriti Sanon added that they had first met at the same gym, where Rashmika was apparently working out “like a beast”.
Rashmika said their friendship developed naturally and effortlessly. Shahid immediately quipped that perhaps this easy chemistry was why people assumed there was a lesbian love story.
Kriti responded with visible annoyance, saying, “I think it is really sad because do ladke hote toh bromance ho jaata hai, par do ladki hue toh somehow people do not want to believe they can be friends. Ya toh koi rivalry hai ya phir kuch toh aur chal raha hoga (If it were two boys, people would simply call it a bromance. But if it’s two girls, somehow people refuse to believe they can just be friends. Either there must be rivalry or something else going on).”
Homi Adajania clarified where the rumours had actually originated: “We were all sitting on the set. They (Kriti and Rashmika) definitely get a little cuddly with each other because they are friends. And we hypothetically thought, what if the story was about them and Shahid was the third angle?”
Looks like nobody in that room had watched Girlfriend (2004) then (No, not the Rashmika one!).
Dinesh Vijan finally shut down the speculation by clarifying that the film only revolves around two love stories: “Purana love aur naya love” (old love and new love), and nothing beyond that.
What Cocktail Did Rashmika Drink At Her Wedding Party?
With Rashmika having married Vijay Deverakonda a couple of months ago, her wedding also became a topic of discussion when the cast were asked if they had ever found themselves caught in a love triangle in real life.
Rashmika denied ever being in one.
When asked whether cocktails were served at her wedding, she laughed and replied, “I actually didn’t drink at my wedding. I was too busy partying.”
Music director Pritam made a late entry, unveiling another new track from the film titled Vella. From the brief glimpse shown, it appears to be another upbeat party anthem that may well play over the film’s end credits.
Cocktail 2 releases in theatres on June 19.
This web site may embed third-party content from YouTube/Instagram/social media for news and informational purposes under fair use provisions for reporting. All rights remain with the original creators. We do not host or own such content. Any concerns may be reported to us for review and removal in good faith.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
