REVIEW: COCKTAIL

COCKTAIL
It took me some time to fathom the many linkages of the word ALI and COCKTAIL. To begin with, we have three ALIs responsible for this COCKTAIL. First Saif Ali Khan, who has produced this venture under his home banner Illumanati Films and also plays the male lead role. Then we have Imtiaz Ali (creator of JAB WE MET) and Sajid Ali who have written the story. Perhaps, the makers had even contemplated titling this movie as COCKTALI, but felt a little jumbling in the tail of the title may make it sound better! I was very sure that the two heroines in this movie also would have had some linkage with ALI, however convoluted it may be! A friend of mine in the women’s cosmetic business helped me out: “May be”, she said, “It has to do with Maybelline range of cosmetics; do you see that ALI is hidden in the MAYBELLINE name?” Just as when I was able to laugh out loud at this most ridiculous association, my friend added, “Deepika Padukone was replaced as the model for Maybelline by Diana Penty!” And then it struck me and I added, “Just as in this movie, Diana Penty replaces Deepika as Saif’s love interest?”
COCKTAIL is directed by Homi Adjania, whose maiden effort was BEING CYRUS, a well-made psycho thriller also starring Saif Ali Khan. COCKTAIL begins awkwardly, but after about half an hour of its 146 minutes running time, begins to promise a heady cocktail offering. Pritam’s music adds suitable zing and the TUMHI HO BANDHU number is sure to be a chart-buster. The shots of London and Cape Town are framed exquisitely and all the members of the lead cast, Saif, Deepika and debutante Diana Penty live their roles. Their characters are well drawn and for the first time, we see Deepika emoting well, particularly in the second half. Saif’s charm on the screen is partially nullified by the yawning age gap (and it shows) between him and his two heroines. Diana Penty also does well in her awkward moments and looks just as stunning with clothes on as Deepika without hers!!
Boman Irani and Dimple Kapadia are excellent in their small roles. Why, then, doesn’t COCKTAIL become heady? The fault clearly lies with the ALI writers: I wish they had infused realism into this love triangle tale. The basis for the friendship between the two heroines could have been built better; the basis for the plight of Diana is dealt with in a very peripheral manner and what happened in the jaunt to Cape Town could as well have happened in the suburbs of London! But perhaps the other ALI (Saif) is just as much responsible: fresh from his AGENT VINOD debacle, he didn’t want any realism to make it out to be a tepid mocktail!
RATING: 3 out of 5
July 13, 2012

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