Movie Review - Cocktail (Hindi) - Bad mix that makes you puke!!

Imtiaz Ali and Homi Adajania team up to give a (im)perfect Cocktail recipe

Ingredients: 

1) 1 male character - Women charmer loaded with witty one-liners and senseless humor.

2) 1 female character – Bland yet angelic desi fish in foreign waters: sensitive and subdued.

3) 1 outlandish female character – Party animal who resorts to a casual fling: bold and bratty.

4) 1 supporting male character – Terrific with his comic timing and shines all the time.

5) 1 supporting female character – Indian mother longing for a desi/gharelu bahu.

6) 1 supporting male character – Misfit in the script and does no good for the film.

7) 1 tablespoon – Friendship between two women, each one an extreme opposite of the other.

8) 2 teaspoons – Clichéd concept of a triangle love story with shades of doomed romance.

9) 2 tablespoons – Crackling humor that stops in the second half.

10) 1 Neon gloss coated template for a picture perfect look.

11) Amazing costumes, locations and production design.

12) Loads of artificial color (for the visuals).

The mix looks (un)impressive, but too much of it gives you a headache, so be warned.

The movie starts with some fine elements and none of the characters: Gautam (Saif), Veronica (Deepika) and Meera (Diana) appear cinematic and cardboardish. But as the film progresses, everything loses its sheen and turns stereotypic. Thus it tests your patience and reaffirms all the formulaic love stories of Bollywood.

There are some warm moments which can't be negated. The friendship between the two women gives a fresh appeal and breathes some life into the film. Dimple Kapadia’s effortless portrayal of an overbearing mother tickles the funny bone and is the saving grace of the film. Besides her, there are no real surprises or efforts from other members of the cast to keep the ball rolling.

In one of the scenes, the brash gal tries to turn homely with her culinary skills. She learns to cook mutton biryani and the thing with yogurt (she struggles to remember 'Raita') to impress her guy's mother, but the guy innocently asks her "Tumhe… Kiss cheez ke liye accept karenge?!" If there's a grin on your face, wipe that out because it won't stay long while watching this film. 

Bottom-line: Saif Ali Khan is always in the match-mismatch mode with the two women. He’s perplexed and in a perennial dilemma like most of Imtiaz Ali's heroes, and playing 32 year old young software engineer (if that can be called an oxymoron!!) who makes a pass at his high-profile client does not win him brownie points. Deepika Padukone is sparkling in the beginning, but bores you to death during her metamorphosis. Diana Penty looks pretty with conventional good looks but she lacks the oomph as an actress. From the maker of magical/musical love stories such as Jab We Met, Love Aajkal and Rockstar, here comes a lackluster script that leaves a chink in his armor.

My Rating: Expectation – 6/10; Reality – 3/10