Why Cocktail 2 Proves Yet Again Not Every Diva Is A Villain

It’s not easy to accept sequels—or, as the term goes nowadays, “spiritual sequels”—to films that have profoundly shaped how you perceive a range of emotions, especially the devastating yet beautifully chaotic nature of love.

Cocktail 2, released on June 19 and headlined by a brand-new trio—Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna— is a Homi Adajania rom-com that leaves you frustrated and bittersweet in equal measure.

But just like its 2012 predecessor, what has resonated is the “bad gal” vibe of the more glamorous heroine. In the first film, the unapologetically bold Veronica (Deepika Padukone) sizzled on screen compared to the more docile Meera (Diana Penty).

In Cocktail 2, Kriti Sanon’s ridiculously glamorous Ally steals the limelight, as compared to the sweet and sorted Diya (Rashmika Mandanna)

14 years later, in both cases, we are reminded that these free-spirited divas are not the villains they appear to be at first glance.

What Did The ‘Bad Girl’ Do The First Time?

It’s obvious to compare Kriti Sanon’s Ally in Cocktail 2 with Deepika Padukone’s Veronica from Cocktail. Several personality traits remain the same, which probably preserved the fun, frothy core of the franchise.

Both are outgoing and live life impulsively. They are gorgeous, which helps mask the emotional insecurities they hide from the world.

It’s easy to label them villains because they make no apologies for their choices and the way they live their lives.

In 2012’s Cocktail, Veronica is presented as a spoilt, ultra-glamorous socialite: a complete party girl with no serious relationships and a wall up around her emotions. Things change when her path crosses with the diametrically opposite Meera (Diana Penty) and Gautam (Saif Ali Khan).

Meera accidentally bumps into Gautam at the London airport and is immediately put off by his flamboyant nature. When she’s left stranded in a foreign country, she meets Veronica in a restroom and, feeling sorry for the ‘bechari desi bahu‘, Veronica takes her in. Gautam soon joins them after Meera tells Veronica he was flirting with her and Veronica plays a prank on him.

Veronica and Gautam seem perfect for each other—both commitment-phobic and not ready for relationships. But Veronica’s feelings begin to surface just as a foolish act becomes real and Gautam falls for the more traditionally rooted Meera.

As is often the case with love, things sour between friends. Although Veronica tries, she cannot accept that Gautam has fallen for someone else. That’s when the “bad girl” persona kicks in for the audience: Veronica’s bitterness towards Meera is seen as unfair because she never wanted anything serious with Gautam, right?

Veronica breaks down one night after clubbing, taking a jibe at Meera in a drunken state, telling her how no one has ever betrayed her like Meera did. And it still somehow comes across as Veronica being unreasonable.

The audience sympathises with Meera when she leaves Veronica’s house and Veronica does not stop her. When Gautam returns, he is appalled by Veronica’s change in behaviour; her indifference to her “best friend” is taken as a sign of betrayal, making her appear a bad friend.

Now, 14 years on, what we see clearly is Meera’s hatred for Gautam. And what was clear from the beginning was that Gautam and Veronica were a thing. So how does that automatically make the glamorous one the villain?

Contemporary reviews flagged Veronica’s party lifestyle and controlling behaviour as toxic. But over the years, her character has been more deeply understood. Veronica is the beating heart of Cocktail: she took a complete stranger home, and what she truly wanted was love. When she finally found it with Gautam, she was emotionally betrayed. And today, she still remains a generous character who didn’t receive credit for her large-heartedness.

Round Two — The “Bad Gal” Vibes Continue

Maybe with Cocktail 2, it won’t take 14 years to realise the “cool cat” isn’t necessarily the problematic one.

Kriti Sanon’s Ally is unrestrained and embraces freedom. She does not believe in waiting for tomorrow, “Jo karna hai, aaj karo,” she says.

Ally meets her university friend Diya (Rashmika Mandanna) after ten years while she is visiting Sicily with her live-in partner Kunal (Shahid Kapoor). There is no sign of a love triangle until Diya herself instigates one. She asks Ally to seduce Kunal, supposedly to test his loyalty: to see if he truly loves her.

This “love experiment” feels doomed from the start. As many on social media have asked, “Why would you ask the ‘hotter’ woman to flirt with your man?”

Yet, for much of the film, Rashmika Mandanna’s Diya comes across as the innocent one.

When Ally’s charm begins to work on Kunal, it looks like she is manipulating him—but she is following instructions. When Ally falls for Kunal, it is judged as wrong, but who initiated the situation?

The stakes rise in the second half when Ally, with her never-give-up spirit, returns to India for Diya and Kunal’s wedding and confesses her feelings.

Unlike Cocktail’s Veronica, the wild one in Cocktail 2 does not spiral into reckless behaviour. There’s no extreme partying or accidents. The new “Veronica” simply tells the man she loves him—no regrets.

The idea that she is the villain strengthens when Kunal and Diya almost fracture their marriage as Kunal starts developing feelings for the spontaneous Ally.

Once again the diva becomes the “guy snatcher,” even if unintentionally.

However, all’s well that ends well. When Diya and Kunal reunite, leaving a heartbroken Ally in tears, she still faces love with no regrets. This situation was messy, but not solely her fault.

Like Veronica, Ally has traits that can be cast negatively: she is the antagonist who comes between two people in love and refuses to give up. She looks like the intrusive homewrecker. But fighting for your love isn’t inherently wrong; standing up for it isn’t either.

As the curtain falls, Ally—portrayed throughout as the stereotypical “bad woman”—actually proves to be more practical and forgiving. And this time, it doesn’t take 14 years to realise it.

With that, Cocktail’s Veronica and Cocktail 2’s Ally shake up a fresh cocktail: never villains, always divas.

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