After a long time, Saif Ali Khan gets into the “Dil Chahtaa Hai” mould, a job he does best, making Homi Adjania’s ‘Cocktail’ quite refreshing in parts, especially given the hackneyed love triangle theme. After a lacklustre start that seems to go nowhere, the engaging trio of Saif-Deepika-Diana creates some vintage moments that place style way above substance. It’s the flair that keeps you away from any form of logic, well at least for most parts. And the music is first rate. God sent for the cause.
Else strange, unbelievable things happen throughout…
…Like a vulnerable Indian girl, disgraced and dejected, finds a ready soul mate in the rest room of a US mall…
…Like live-in relationships are completely age-proof and economy-proof - you just need to shift your bedroom, that’s all it takes…
…That software engineering is the best pre-occupation on earth - you have the license to flirt at work and play alike…cent percent billable entertainment.
…That two young, attractive girls fret and fight to be the wife of an ageing man with dubious credentials.
The list is endless but the entertainment is also quite a handful. Veronica (Padukone) and Meera (Diana) are accidental fast friends who nourish diametrically opposite feelings for the intruder in their lives - Gautam (Khan). While Veronica adores him, Diana hates him no end. Predictably, love blooms where it was least expected. Though Gautam comes straight to the point (you love me, I love her) the makers don’t. And the story drags ever after.
The lighter moments come out best but when the makers force fit melodrama in between, the brew becomes pungent, if not unpalatable. The end is made out to be some rocket science, albeit a foregone conclusion, given the inherent nature of the lead characters. But Imtiaz and Sajid Ali think otherwise. And Homi agrees. So, the plot thickens to include clichéd twists and turns, those that were earlier ridiculed in the same film.
While Saif is at his natural best, debutante Diana looks promising, her raw talent as ravishing as her pretty frame. But the real surprise is our non-playing badminton champ Deepika Padukone. This is her best effort till date and in few pensive moments; she actually does a terrific job. Dimple Kapadia and Boman Irani breathe enough life into their trivial parts that unfortunately stay on the periphery throughout. This cocktail is quite a heady mix, but actually a mock tail in spirit.