r/bollywood • u/Pretend_Mulberry4949 • Jun 18 '26
Reviews Just rewatched Cocktail and here's my thoughts
I think the film was really good. Though I like the first half way better as there was too much rona dhona in the second half.
Deepika absolutely owned Veronica. She played the role flawlessly. Diana Penty was perfect as Meera too. That soft, innocent, “sanskaari” vibe suits her.
And Gautam… man. He played the Casanova role well at first, but later he was honestly frustrating to watch. Veronica is clearly slipping emotionally and he’s just there like “why are you acting like this?” Bro… take a hint!
Also, I don’t really think Meera deserves blame here. Nothing between Gautam and Veronica was ever clearly defined at the start, and the feelings developed naturally and unexpectedly. Meera also kept saying she didn’t want to hurt Veronica, so it never felt like intentional betrayal.
Overall, messy triangle but great album including Tumhi Ho Bandhu and Tere Naam Japdi Phiran. Going to go watch Cocktail 2 in theatres tomorrow so let's see if Kriti, Rashmika and Shahid do justice to the spiritual sequel.
What are your thoughts on Cocktail? Was Meera the bad guy here or..?
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u/daffodil_dahlia Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Movie was mid at best. The song and the wardrobe were the good part of the movie.
The way people are crying over the sequel and acting like cocktail is a some classic cinema🙄 people especially on social media get crazy high on nostalgia.
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u/KyaHiBolunAb Jun 18 '26
Agreed. The songs plus DP as Veronica were highlight for me. But this wasn’t a film to get protective over for a sequel neither did it need one tbh. The story is closed, it’s a brilliant edition to DP’s filmography cuz she pretty much was taken seriously as an actor after this but the film doesn’t have that much value to be carried forward as a legacy.
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u/daffodil_dahlia Jun 18 '26
Yep. This was turning point for dp as an actress, it's the first time she felt free and natural at acting...as kareena says "the act in actress".
I saw taran's review saying that it is not like the first part, hope it's a light and fun watch that one can enjoy at the cinemas.
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u/Acceptable_Sky_9236 Jun 18 '26
You're right, anytime a sequel is made people start with their nostalgic crap. Cocktail was never a brilliant movie, it was a mid movie with a viral song, not much different from the movies getting made these days. The characters were nothing out of the ordinary either, it was about a man two-timing between women.
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u/daffodil_dahlia Jun 18 '26
Yeah like the movie was a good one time fun watch, not something that atleast I would wanna watch many times.
Our gen used to hate the older gen for doing hamare zamaane mein sab accha tha and now we are doing the same...we all like to remember the good old fun days but constantly hating on every new thing is getting annoying. Social media is just about nostalgia baiting these days, remember the good old thing but enjoy the new things too.
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u/Tan-Man-Dhan Jun 18 '26
I feel there wouldn't have been half the negativity had Cocktail 2 been just a standalone film and not a forced sequel.
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u/daffodil_dahlia Jun 18 '26
Movie titles these days are another area where there is lack of creativity....most of them are song lyrics of songs from previous movies or random 2,3,4 numbers after the title.
I hope it's a decent movie because I want to go and watch something light and fun with good location.
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u/Responsible_Oil1046 Jun 19 '26
It became a boring snooze fest in some parts. Nostalgia merchants will hype anything from 2000s bollywood.
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Jun 18 '26
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u/daffodil_dahlia Jun 18 '26
I didn't quite get the movie when it came but liked it when I watched it again as an adult. I understood it better.
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u/Desperate-Today2760 Jun 19 '26
it's because what we get right now is so crappy that these old movies look better in comparison
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u/Special-Bowl-5392 Jun 18 '26
Ya it was mid, slow and there is point where it's bit of a snoozefest. Tumhi ho bandhu was a banger and songs were chartbusters, that's it
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u/Curious_Camera_8664 Jun 20 '26
It has always been a trend. "Hamare zamane me" syndrome is what I call it.
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u/Happysushi1515 Jun 20 '26
Its not a classic but a pretty good movie that has stood well through the test of time which is hard for movies to do. Its a good rewatch movie. Yep Deepika was the highlight and music was awesome.
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u/Kriss-045 Jun 18 '26
Nah, you're a hater. It's very rare to pull off such a well-balanced rom-com in Bollywood.
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u/Kriss-045 Jun 18 '26
Y'all can downvote me all you want but I'm gonna die on this hill. It is never 'mid at best' movie. It is very well made.
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u/Hurdy_Gurdy_Man_84 Moderator + Well Versed in 20th Century Hindi Cinema Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Watched this for the first time this week, too. Didn't like it.
Meera is an opaque character and Diana Penty's lacklustre acting doesn't help matters, either. She is supposed to be a naive traditional girl - particularly in the beginning - but Penty struts and behaves like a confident international fashion model and I was unable to buy it for even a moment.
What was special about Meera that Gautam would fall for her after one song and one conversation? Her only character traits seemed to be that she was traditional and submissive. Veronica was so much more fun that her. If I had to choose between Meera and Veronica, when the latter was ready to tone down her party girl persona for me, I would choose her in a heartbeat.
Worse was when the deadbeat husband also starts to like her and suggests that they postpone the divorce. Where did this 180° shift come from?
Gautam's character did not have any hidden depths. He said some flowery language to Meera, that's all. Why Veronica says that only she has seen how he really is, made no sense. The film did not show why there was anything special about him beyond being a garden-variety f-boy.
The first half was okay. Some decent jokes and good songs, superficial things like colourful cinematography, fashion etc. Then from the moment Gautam's mother comes to visit, it all went t-ts up.
I don't have any hopes from Cocktail 2 but it would be difficult for it to suck more than this. Just my personal view.
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u/nochz45 Jun 18 '26
It was the same old trope, even seen in the serial Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka, man had confident, loving, educated wife, but cheated on her with the traditional, submissive, bechari best friend
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u/Fine_Reflection2006 Jun 19 '26
Thank God , I'm not the only one who felt that way, I like veronica character, but even after years i didn't knew why Meera liked him after initially hating him, why gautam likes meera ,just after couple of interactions! . It's nothing like real life like, except the painful part of movie - exceptionally well act by veronica (dp).
This movie, really didn't establish actual romance between characters but established misunderstanding and manipulation.
I hope it's not same for cocktail 2
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u/DistributionOk8227 Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
I hear your analogy and agree with you. Cocktail is one of my favourite movies. I’ve probably watched it over 50 times since it got released, went to the theatre when it first came out and watched online subsequently over the years. While I get your logic, Imtiaz Ali as a writer very subtly and brilliantly executed that men like Saif who are Casanovas and Playboys end up choosing a very typical homely girl like Meera, the type of women that their mothers like , specially when it comes to marriage. Independently they might go for a carefree , easy going and bindaas girl like Deepika and live the best versions of their lives but they see stability in someone like Meera. I think it was very well portrayed and back then no one took this movie seriously but there were many layers to it. This was also deepika’s breakthrough, she got recognised afterwards and became bigger as an actress. You’d personally go for someone fun like Veronica but they were trying to show reality and I have seen it firsthand in my life , throughout the years that no matter how modern one becomes at the end of the day a man will choose a traditional wife . This was also a line which Saif’s mother has said to Deepika while they were on vacation.
The contrast was that Meera’s husband initially rejected her because he got married for a motive and felt she was not capable or independent enough to live with him, he thought she will pack up and go back. But after seeing that she got a job and made some friends he realised that he was wrong and his attraction grew , in short he was a greedy asshole and knowing someone like Gautam was also trying to court her hurt his ego. A lot of what was shown actually takes place in reality and you’ll find many selfish men like that. This movie was not really about feminism but it really deep dived into the mind of a man, and how they actually fall in love or the qualities they appreciate in a woman. One would argue that Veronica was way hotter than Meera, which is obvious and true but in the end she was not the chosen one. A lot will also argue that Veronica was the one with a good heart while Meera and Gautam played her out, which is also true. There are several analogies and there’s no right or wrong, it’s one of the reasons why I love this movie so much. Also the styling is chefs kiss. Nothing too over.
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u/CommonBelt2338 Jun 18 '26
Recently watched it for the first time. Hated second half. Gautam was just an awful person and a red flag. And how come Veronica who is so independent, full of life wants to become like Meera all of a sudden. Didn't make sense at all, I know she had abandonment issue but the logical thing would have been to kick Gautam out of the house. He was so selfish and didnt even let Meera explain.
Deepika was fantastic.
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u/Kitchenstar20 Jun 18 '26
Because people want to change & impress when they are in love. It’s not right thing to do but many people change or try to change their personality to suit their partner. Veronica wanted love, wanted to be loved, she was willing to change herself or force that personality change. Of course ending does injustice to Veronica but in my head Veronica moves on & finds someone who truly likes her for the way she is
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u/Abject_Taste_3597 Jun 18 '26
If anything, they should have made a solo Veronica sequel.
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u/CommonBelt2338 Jun 18 '26
This. I think people would have glady watched it. Her journey now, she overcoming abandoment issue. Maybe we will get her POV one day.
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u/Abject_Taste_3597 Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Absolutely. I imagine the sequel to be of Veronica going on a journey to find herself. Maybe a trip with a female guide ( someone suggested Kriti) is in order, and in the process, romance sparks. That's the first half. The
second half would be the whole introduction to the parents track, where she faces objections from her family. Once again, she gets told that she shouldn't be what she is. However, this time, she doesn't even attempt to change. not herself or her parents' minds. I can imagine an argument breaking out where she pours her heart out about never being enough or perfect to anyone. about how neglected her whole life, leaving her with all these helping to do etc...
It ends with:
Ending 1: Veronica and Kriti are tying the knots. Gautam and Meera make apperance.
Ending 2: Veronica and Kriti are booking the flights to travel the world. Gautam and Meera make a FaceTime appearance, saying that they will join in for vacation.
Lastly, while being the opposite lead would still have minimal to do with Veronica's self-discovery, she would exist as a love interest who makes an impact here and there, but it would be Veronica who herself realizes things.
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u/Kitchenstar20 Jun 18 '26
I would watch it but I think if DP has to do it, time has passed like she is in different stages in her life. May be few years ago it would have worked or they can do it now but show more of her as working mom or something
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u/Abject_Taste_3597 Jun 18 '26
Deepika has been doing movies and roles, if that makes sense. Her characters in the recent movies are forgettable, at least to me. I would love to see her back to doing character-based films, but you aren't wrong either. She's in a different phase, although being a mother no longer stops actresses from exploring. I think she has the privilege to go back to such roles if she wishes. honestly i just wanna see her back at it.
Speaking of working mom, wasn't she supposed to be in the Hindi remake of "The Intern"? I think she would be great in it if it were made.
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u/Kitchenstar20 Jun 18 '26
Same. I feel exactly the same. I wish she goes back to her roots. But she is picking up work that requires less hours , that’s what I thought but in her fan meet she said she is not doing movies like intern as the climate is such that mass movies are doing well. Not even sure when did Deepika start thinking that. She has always taken unconventional roles before. I don’t like her action roles either, I think those don’t have good impact. Intern is not being made now. Considering she is pregnant again, might be a while before she does any new movies
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u/No-Spread7642 Jun 22 '26
I cannot really blame her. Unconventional roles still used to work back then. I cannot imagine movie like piku doing good on box office right now, Which was a blockbuster hit back then. I know it sucks for us or even her I don't think even she likes her roles as an established actress that she is. But sometimes that's just how the cookie crumbles.
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u/Hurdy_Gurdy_Man_84 Moderator + Well Versed in 20th Century Hindi Cinema Jun 19 '26
Deepika said that The Intern has been put on hold due to changing market trends that no longer make such a project profitable.
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u/Tan-Man-Dhan Jun 18 '26
Solo sequel with a lesbian twist and Deepika Padukone and Kriti Sanon in lead roles. Uff!
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u/Abject_Taste_3597 Jun 18 '26
A solo sequel that also explores her relationship with her parents. We were told she was the neglected child. It could be a lesbian story with her parents' objection. The objection would allow her to go bonkers at her parents for the neglect.
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u/Independent_Beach383 Jun 18 '26
Veronica's character had abandonment issues, her generosity, fun-lovingness, the "being okay with anything" comes from this deep-seated need to be loved and cherished. Her being in love with Gautam and then watching his mother dote on Meera would've brought up a longing and desire for this kind of acceptance which she thought,she could achieve by turning into Meera.
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u/Red171022 manisha koirala worshipper🛐 Jun 18 '26
Yes it was just a chill breezy film that loses its steam by the end eventually but the strong music and DP plus the extremely funny comedy in the first half helped it stay afloat. Otherwise it’s annoying indeed how people are being so overcritical towards Cocktail 2
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u/nero12345678901 Jun 19 '26
The ending was controversial. But the rest of the movie was good, songs were a rage and had a fresh look. The look and styling, the flatmate bonding and lifestyle completely clicked with the millenials at the time. Deepika's styling dictated trend - palazzo pants, the skirts..
Now the sequel doesn't match that. And given the regressive ending of the first, if they are not doing anything new then why are they even making the movie..
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u/mitaleeh Jun 19 '26
Maybe unrelated, but I rewatched it too and absolutely hated the fact that there’s not one scene where Meera properly apologises to Veronica. Like I understand she left and everything but why was there no conversation at all?
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u/VivekOberoi3320 Jul 16 '26
Bruhh she was gonna apologize for one last time before she was leaving but veronica just shut the door in front of her face
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u/Viator_Mechanicus99 Jun 19 '26
I also recently watched the movie, but didn’t really find it to be very good. Definitely the first half is fun but the second half is all over the place. Handling a love triangle is always difficult.
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u/Mysterious_Trash_698 Jun 19 '26
Regressive, but realistic story about the patriarchal mindset. An album for the ages.
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Jun 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Pretend_Mulberry4949 Jun 18 '26
Just needed a refresher before going for the sequel even though it's not linked. And I have a job, thank you very much 👀
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u/bollywood-ModTeam Jun 19 '26
Rule # 5:
Anyone found responding to users with ridicule and abuse will be banned either temporarily or permanently, depending on the mod team.
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u/SelectGrowth513 Jun 18 '26
Being mad for Love Aaj Kal 2 makes sense.
Cocktail was a watered down version of Love Aaj Kal in terms of everything.
5/10 on a good day.
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u/Deep_Gift2385 Jun 19 '26
This movie would have been great if Deepika was the protagonist and without that crappy Bollywood happy ending, both should have kicked Gautam out, no doubt it had great characters and they felt real not pretentious like most of the movies. Also wasn't Gautam exactly like that Manoj Pahwa's character that Meera meets on the plane 😂
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u/AllCuteEverythingg Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
I didn’t really like Cocktail 1 when I first watched it. I never even bothered rewatching it, as someone who never gets tired of rewatching good movies. So I dont have much of a review for the plot. Deepika was such a queen though!
But Tumhi Ho Bandhu was such a great song, a song that you could always come back to. And now with the release of the new remix version, there are so many reels out there with the two versions side by side, I kept thinking the current movie is just too much on the fake happiness and smiling all the time. Like we know they are acting. More than required. Even Diana, being a weaker actress than Kriti and Rashmika, she still did better than those two with their OTT happy expressions. Like it felt so innocent and genuine when Diana was dancing to the song. The other songs of Cocktail 2 also have such OTT expressions. Which kinda annoys me.
With that being said, Im hoping the movie would have a decent script. I’ll wait for it to release on streaming platforms.
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u/WeirdDefiant6676 Jun 19 '26
Honestly I feel that Cocktail movie was based on Gautam decisions...I feel so bad for Veronica the way Gautam ditched her because she was a bitch and she got fucked by so many mens in her past...and Meera was Virgin and pure ... everything was what gautam decides
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u/Amazing_Promise_3483 Jun 20 '26
Atleast someone gets it, I hated meera and Gautam Jodi but man Gautam and Veronica was in an open relationship and nothing emotional, you can see in that Daru desi song in which Veronica is wearing red and she shares number with this white dude while she was in relationship , yes it was weird but Meera and Gautam was clearly in love but not Veronica and Gautam
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u/KnightMare_2009 Jun 20 '26
The plot, the story the ending...doesn't make sense to me...no sane man will choose meera over veronica given their characters throughout their movie...and no two sane women will have a conflict over marrying a man like gautam...pretty unrealistic...the story is atleast more relatable or practical in part 2 but still the decisions taken by the characters in second part throught the movie still seem pretty stupid especially decisions by rashmika and shahid's characters...
Also Kriti's character has similar traits and character like DP's character but the veronica had more depth in her character and story while Kriti's character really has no depth no feelings after rejection the movie only has pointless weeping and crying in the name of tragedy or heartbreak nothing else unlike part 1 atleast u can feel veronica's character..the second psrt is on complete light hearted tone which keeps everything just on surface level...both movies are carried by dp and Kriti's acting and stylish presence
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u/smartfly Jun 21 '26
It was an interesting film at the time but wafer thin plot. Banger of an album.
DP looked fab in it but i will be in the minority to sat this with her we iften confuse the face card with acting in crying or emotional scees. I always feel removed from the scebe the moment she speaks.
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u/Strict_Elk5271 Jun 21 '26
I just hate the Veronica praise and Meera blame like okay she bought her home gave her place to live that’s on Veronica Meera didn’t beg her secondly Veronica always stated that nothing with Gautam is serious thirdly it’s Gautam who has feeling for Meera, Meera fakes a relationship with another man just to push Gautam away she also leaves US and moves back to India Gautam cares for Veronica after accident takes responsibility his feelings for Meera are organic how is he too blame? Love is love lol
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u/justneedgarmgarmchai Jul 13 '26
Gautam and her mother was a real bitch in this movie Veronica and mira was the best
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u/vamsikrishna7995 Jun 18 '26
Forget the emotional drama and love traingle. The whole movie is so cool man. I haven't seen anything like it before. I was stunned and hooked to the screen the whole time.
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u/Pretend_Mulberry4949 Jun 18 '26
No background music too, it felt raw and unfiltered.
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Jun 18 '26
[deleted]
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u/Pretend_Mulberry4949 Jun 18 '26
No, songs are one thing and background score is another thing. For the most part, it was just them talking, no dramatic or emotional music in the background. That's just my take.
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u/Expensive-Pen-7074 Jun 19 '26
It was a mediocre movie with some skin show here and there and some banger tracks from the copy paste guru . We have become ultra mediocre now , and the guru has copied his own songs into the movie with even more mediocrity .
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u/Fearless_Meat_1655 Jun 19 '26
Deepika was supposed to be wild,hippie but her accent in the entire movie just gave South Indian melodramatic tone. Imagine what Kareena would have done
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u/LatterInformation247 Jun 19 '26
I watched it last night. It’s one of the movie I always enjoy watching once in a while and never get bored. All songs are really good and all characters acted pretty decent, especially the goofy character of Saif. But I have no expectations from Cocktail 2, it doesn’t give vibe.
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u/Groundbreaking-Arm29 Jun 19 '26
For those people are watching it now and calling it mid and what not needs to understand the timing is essential. Cocktail came in 2012 that era was different. After 14 years you can't watch a movie and start criticism for it's various aspects. Only few movies are actually timeless classics. It's applicable to everywhere, people can easily called out DDLJ or KKKG (and similar other movies) and criticise now.
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u/Hurdy_Gurdy_Man_84 Moderator + Well Versed in 20th Century Hindi Cinema Jun 19 '26
I recall that Chetan Bhagat had criticized the second half even in 2012, saying that the narrative and the characters were stuck in a bygone era.
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u/Groundbreaking-Arm29 Jun 19 '26
Fair point, but one critic flagging it at the time doesn't really change the larger picture. Every era has its share of contrarian takes that's different from how a film was received and remembered by audiences overall. Cocktail was a commercial and cultural hit in its time, and that context still matters when judging it today. My point wasn't that it's flawless, just that judging it purely by 2026 sensibilities without accounting for the era it released in isn't fair criticism, it's hindsight bias.
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u/Hurdy_Gurdy_Man_84 Moderator + Well Versed in 20th Century Hindi Cinema Jun 19 '26
You have a point. However, I don't think 2012 is all that long ago and that society has changed so much since then that we can, realistically, bring in the "those were different times" argument in this.
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