Cocktail 2 reviews are largely negative, with critics from Variety India, Hollywood Reporter India, India Today, Scroll, NDTV and The Hindu finding little fizz in Homi Adajania’s long-awaited spiritual sequel. While Shahid Kapoor’s performance has emerged as one of the few elements earning consistent praise, most reviewers argue that the film’s weak screenplay, unconvincing love triangle and shallow characterization prevent it from capturing the charm and emotional complexity that made Cocktail a modern Bollywood classic.
Set against the picturesque backdrop of Sicily, Cocktail 2 follows Kunal (Shahid Kapoor) and Diya (Rashmika Mandanna), a couple in a long-term live-in relationship whose seemingly stable romance begins to unravel after a casual remark sparks Diya’s insecurities. Hoping to test Kunal’s loyalty, Diya recruits her carefree friend Ally (Kriti Sanon) to flirt with him. What begins as a misguided loyalty test soon spirals into a complicated love triangle involving friendship, betrayal, desire and emotional confusion. On paper, the setup promises a modern relationship drama. Critics, however, argue that the film quickly loses its footing.
The shadow of Cocktail looms large over nearly every review. Fourteen years ago, the original film gave audiences Veronica, Meera and Gautam—flawed, messy and emotionally complicated characters navigating friendship and love. Critics repeatedly point out that while Cocktail 2 borrows the basic framework of the original, it lacks the emotional honesty that made those relationships resonate. Instead of complex characters making difficult choices, many reviewers found themselves watching a series of manufactured conflicts driven by questionable decisions and underdeveloped motivations.
Writing for Variety India, Sarita A Tanwar describes Cocktail 2 as “a confusing mix of ideas” that never comes close to matching the original film. The review argues that the sequel constantly struggles to decide what kind of story it wants to tell, resulting in a narrative that feels unfocused despite its glossy production values. For Variety India, the problem isn’t simply that the film revisits familiar territory—it’s that it fails to understand why that territory was compelling in the first place.
The criticism becomes even sharper in Rahul Desai’s review for Hollywood Reporter India. Desai calls the film “a love triangle bereft of taste and spirit,” arguing that despite its attractive cast and lavish locations, the emotional core is missing. The review suggests that the central relationships never develop enough depth to justify the amount of time the film spends exploring them. For Desai, Cocktail 2 feels less like a genuine successor and more like an imitation of a film that understood its characters far better.
Among the harshest reviews comes from Sana Farzeen of India Today, who describes the film as a glamorized version of an “absurd emotional atyachar episode.” The review criticizes the screenplay for repeatedly manufacturing drama rather than allowing conflict to emerge organically from the characters. According to India Today, the film mistakes emotional chaos for emotional depth, leaving viewers with a relationship drama that becomes increasingly exhausting rather than engaging.
Scroll’s Nandini Ramnath delivers perhaps the most devastating assessment of the film, calling it a “fizz-free, tedious love triangle.” Ramnath argues that Cocktail 2 starts as a contemporary relationship drama before gradually revealing a surprisingly conservative worldview. Her review takes particular issue with the way the screenplay treats its female characters, suggesting that the film judges and punishes them while placing Kunal on a moral pedestal. She also argues that the original Cocktail succeeded because of its emotional ambiguity, whereas the sequel repeatedly chooses simplistic moral lessons over genuine complexity.
Even reviews that are less harsh struggle to defend the screenplay. Writing for The Hindu, Anuj Kumar acknowledges the appeal of the cast and the film’s visual polish but ultimately finds the emotional foundation lacking. The review suggests that while the film wants to explore modern relationships, it rarely offers insights that feel fresh or convincing. Instead, it relies too heavily on repetitive misunderstandings and dramatic confrontations.
If there is one point on which critics almost universally agree, it is that Shahid Kapoor emerges as the film’s strongest asset. Reviews from NDTV, Indian Express, Scroll and Telegraph India all single him out for praise. Even reviewers who strongly disliked the film acknowledge his charisma and commitment. Kapoor manages to bring a degree of sincerity and emotional credibility to scenes that often struggle under the weight of weak writing. Several critics argue that he deserved a much better film.
The response to Kriti Sanon is also relatively positive. Many reviewers feel Ally is the most interesting character in the story and the one with the greatest emotional potential. Critics acknowledge that Sanon commits fully to the role and handles the film’s dramatic turns with conviction. However, several reviews argue that the screenplay ultimately lets her down by reducing a potentially layered character to a collection of inconsistent choices designed to serve the plot.
Rashmika Mandanna‘s character receives far less sympathy from critics. Multiple reviewers argue that Diya is one of the film’s weakest creations, largely because the screenplay defines her through insecurity and jealousy. Critics point out that much of the narrative is driven by her decisions, yet the film never fully explains her motivations or develops her beyond the central romantic conflict. As a result, many reviewers found it difficult to connect with her emotional journey.
The love triangle itself has become one of the most criticized aspects of the film. Critics from Variety India, NDTV, Hollywood Reporter India and Scroll all question whether the central conflict ever feels believable. The chemistry between the characters has been described as inconsistent, while the emotional stakes often feel manufactured rather than earned. Several reviewers argue that the film spends so much time creating conflict that it forgets to establish why audiences should care about the relationships in the first place.
A recurring criticism throughout the reviews concerns the film’s treatment of women and modern relationships. Critics repeatedly point out that while Cocktail 2 presents itself as a progressive romance, it often retreats into conventional and moralistic territory. Scroll’s review is particularly vocal on this front, but similar concerns appear elsewhere as well. For many critics, this contradiction lies at the heart of the film’s problems: it wants to appear contemporary without fully embracing the complexities of modern relationships.
Not every review was entirely negative. Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost describes the film as frivolous but entertaining, arguing that viewers willing to overlook its flaws may still find some enjoyment in its glossy presentation and attractive cast. Sukanya Verma of Rediff finds elements of My Best Friend’s Wedding and Judaai within the film’s setup and appreciates some of its lighter moments. Meanwhile, Agnivo Niyogi of Telegraph India believes the film’s heart is in the right place, even if its execution frequently stumbles. However, these remain minority opinions within a largely critical reception.
The overall critical consensus suggests that Cocktail 2 succeeds far more as a showcase for Shahid Kapoor than as a relationship drama or sequel. Most reviewers believe it lacks the emotional complexity, memorable characters and narrative confidence that made the original Cocktail endure. For many critics, the film isn’t simply disappointing because it is flawed—it is disappointing because it serves as a reminder of how much richer, bolder and emotionally honest the original film was.
Legacy sequels often face impossible expectations, but critics are not blaming Cocktail 2 for failing to surpass the original. They are criticizing it for failing to understand what made the original work. While Shahid Kapoor’s performance, Kriti Sanon’s commitment and the film’s visual appeal have earned praise, most reviewers believe the screenplay never gives its characters the emotional depth they deserve. In trying to recreate the cocktail, critics argue, the sequel forgot the ingredients that made the first drink memorable.
Cocktail 2 Trailer:
Film Details :
Genre: Romance, Drama
Director: Homi Adajania
Writers: Tarun Jain, Luv Ranjan
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Rashmika Mandanna
Runtime: 150 Minutes
Release Date: June 19, 2026
Production: Maddock Films
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