+++An Intoxicating Concoction+++. Review on Cocktail

Homi Adjania surprised us with his first movie Being Cyrus. An unique plot and brilliant acting from the ensemble cast made the movie a great watch. Cerebral and interesting it was. The director took a 7 years of sabbatical from film making before coming back with the latest from his stable - Cocktail.

Cocktail however is completely different in spirit from Being Cyrus. Cocktail is the typical formulaic, masala Bollywood movie that would make for a good weekend entertainer, unlike the run-of-the mill, darkly comical, and cerebral Being Cyrus. It's bit difficult to believe that both the movies are directed by the same person. Then again, you are impressed with the range of Adjania's creative prowess.

Coming to Cocktail - it's fresh, enthusiastic, and entertaining. It takes us on a voyage which celebrates life. But at the same time Cocktail is not free from typical Bollywoodesque clichés and stereotypes. What started as a fresh new tale, ended up being a predictable affair in the end. The story began with a lot of promise. The three protagonists, hailing from varied socio-economic backgrounds make a perfect bond with each other – a bond of eternal friendship, trust, faith and belongingness. Their journey began with initial conflict, but soon the laws of attraction catalyzed it into a strong mutual bond. The first half of the movie sums up the equations of this triangular relationship beautifully. Capered with light comical moments, soaked in the hue of enjoying life, the trio makes us fall in love with them. We laugh; we smile as their story progresses on the celluloid. However, in the second half, when situations and turn of events create complexities in the life of the trio, it starts being difficult for us too. The story proceeds to be a typical love triangle. The joy of togetherness is replaced by the pain of separation. Misunderstandings are ensued, envy comes in. Clouds of confusion arise in the hearts of Gautam, Veronica and Meera, our protagonists. The movie ends with the union of two protagonists and the third one sacrificing her love for the sake of friendship. Watch the movie to know more.

Cocktail is heavily dependent on performance. Saif Ali Khan as the flirtatious Gautam fits the bill, but could have been much better. Rookie performer Diana Penty impresses. She not only looks good but acts honestly as well. Her performance was believable and you will fall in love with her character as the movie unfolds. However, it’s Deepika Padukone who steals the show in this flick. Deepika’s portrayal of Veronica is by far her best performance in Bollywood. She not only sizzles the screen with her looks, but makes you laugh and cry with her. A very mature rendition indeed. Adjania does well to utilize the talents of Dimple Kapadia and Boman Irani. Dimple has some of the best dialogues in the movie and Boman impresses once more with his comic timing.

Songs of the movie are average. The highlight of the movie is of course the song sequence of Tumhi Ho Bandhu. It is well choreographed and Diana's dance moves are very attractive. Daaru Desi is also fun to listen to. Yaarian is a good composition but may have been rendered better.

The promo suggested that the movie would have more fun moments to cherish. I personally felt that the humor quotient was a bit down. Saif was emoting in slapstick fashion in some sequences, which did not much gel with me. Veronica’s character created the scope for the most comic moments in the movie. Her different lifestyle and personal beliefs set the stage for these moments. And Deepika as Veronica does not fail to impress.

I will recommend Cocktail with a 3.5 out of 5 rating. Take a shot of this drink, enjoy, and forget the hangover!