Kriti’s glam, Rashmika’s goof-up, Shahid’s banter. The trio made the Cocktail 2 song launch event so much fun.
Key Points
- Shahid Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Kriti Sanon launch Cocktail 2 songs at a musical showcase.
- The two songs Mashooka and Tujhko feature Shahid Kapoor with Kriti Sanon, Rashmika Mandanna and are composed by Pritam.
- Set for a June 19 release, Cocktail 2 is directed by Homi Adajania and penned by Luv Ranjan.
Cocktail 2 Gets A Musical Celebration
For a film that first showed up with a song Jab Talak, it makes sense that the next look at Cocktail 2 would come through music again. This time, the makers did not stop at one reveal.
In a cozy gathering on Sunday evening, Team Cocktail 2 unveiled two romantic songs, Mashooka and Tujhko, giving a peek into the complicated dynamic between Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna.
But getting to that reveal was an experience in itself.
Rarely do you get an event invite that tells you nothing about what is going to happen. The Cocktail 2 invite just hinted at a ‘surprise’.
At the venue, conjectures were being made that this might be a secret teaser preview or a launch of a new song.
Before the stars arrived, the real entertainment was happening off stage.
The venue added its drama. A lit room with big chandeliers hanging from the ceiling had sweeping views from the 37th floor of a plush hotel. The space was small, but glamorous in a way Bollywood events often are.
Someone was panicking after accidentally gulping down non-veg sushi; another guest was screaming after eating too much wasabi. The dim lighting stopped playing for aesthetic and started feeling chaotic.
Kriti and Rashmika’s Banter
Moments later, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna walked onto the stage to loud cheers.
“Welcome to my song launch,” Kriti cheerfully declared.
Rashmika jumped in and quipped, “You mean my song launch?”
Maddock Films Producer Dinesh Vijan revealed that two new songs from Cocktail 2 were to be unveiled, each song offering glimpse into Rashmika and Kriti’s characters, Diya and Ally.
But the teasing didn’t stop there.
When they discussed which song to unveil first, Kriti sassily said she has already done eight films with Maddock Films, so she knows who the “favourite” is. Rashmika quickly added that Chhaava may have changed that favouritism now.
Before it could get into a debate, Shahid Kapoor entered and quipped, “I am not worried whose song it is because I am in both.”
The first song Mashooka shows flirty banter between Kriti and Shahid as they drive around the winding roads of picturesque Sicily. A text appears in the song ‘What’s more than friendship, but not love yet?’ that hints at the romance brewing between the two.
The second song Tujhko features the cutesy college romance between Shahid and Rashmika with a forever kind of love vibe to it. What’s striking in this song is a de-aged Shahid Kapoor who brings back his ‘Chocolate Boy’ era.
As the songs were played, the trio — Kriti, Rashmika and Shahid — were tucked away in a corner, giggling and smiling through an animated chat while watching themselves on screen. Every time Kriti popped up on screen, Rashmika would enthusiastically cheer for her, with Kriti doing the same.
“We didn’t imagine it to look that beautiful,” Kriti said, when the lights brightened up. “We just had a lot of fun and he (Homi Adajania, Director) just captured it. He used to ask us to just be and have fun. We didn’t know the camera was rolling.
Kriti said she found the Shahid-Rashmika pairing “adorable”, and Rashmika praised Kriti: “You look hot. The world knows that. And you are f**king hot!”
She quickly gathered herself from an F-bomb and embarrassingly said, “Yeh censor kar dena.”
Shahid said he considers himself “very fortunate’ to work with Kriti and Rashmika, who are extremely professional and “in the absolute prime of their careers”.
“Both have given spectacular performances and look amazing. That’s why my character Kunal can’t decide who to go with. That’s what the film is all about,” he cheekily added.
The Creative Team Behind Cocktail 2
Homi Adjania helmed the 2013 Cocktail original starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty. Luv Ranjan of Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety and Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar fame, takes the mantle from Imtiaz Ali to pen the script for the sequel.
Shahid, who slips back into his cool avatar after Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya following the action turn in O’Romeo and Deva, mentioned that Cocktail 2 was an easy yes for him.
“The most fun I have had was working with Homi, and what Homi made the three of us do. I feel I haven’t something like this in a long time, and I didn’t know what to do when I came on this set. I said yes even before hearing the story because I really enjoyed Homi’s work. I really loved the cast they put together,” Shahid said.
Dinesh Vijan praised Music Director Pritam Chakraborty, calling him the “soul” of Cocktail 2.
“He delivered both songs on time,” Vijan said, adding, “Which is exactly 2 minutes before this event.”
The final ‘surprise’ then came with a digital twist.
The makers asked the guests to scan a QR code on screen to vote for the song they liked. The song that gets most votes, Vijan mentioned, will be released first online.
Mashooka won by a narrow margin and the song will drop today, May 18.
Cocktail 2 arrives in cinemas on June 19.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
