The internet had a very specific theory about the upcoming romantic comedy Cocktail 2, but the creative team just shut it down. During the film’s official trailer launch, producer Dinesh Vijan and director Homi Adajania firmly denied social media rumors suggesting lead actresses Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna play a lesbian couple in the sequel.
The long-awaited follow-up stars Shahid Kapoor alongside Sanon and Mandanna, and hits theaters on June 19, 2026. The initial speculation caught fire online after fans dissected early promotional material, hoping for a queer twist to the classic Bollywood love triangle format.
Adajania explained the rumor actually started as an inside joke on set. He noted the easy camaraderie and cuddly friendship between the two actresses led to lighthearted banter that eventually leaked and snowballed into an internet theory, according to the director’s recent press address. Vijan backed him up, explicitly confirming the plot does not feature a romance between the two women.
Even without the rumored twist, the creative team insists the sequel breaks from the expected formula. Vijan and co-producer Luv Ranjan promised an unconventional second half designed to jolt the audience, telling fans they won’t walk away feeling like they just watched a standard rehash.
Following up a 14-year-old blockbuster is a notoriously difficult tightrope walk. The 2012 original starred Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty, setting a high watermark for modern Hindi rom-coms. Early reactions to the new trailer are distinctly mixed. While Pritam’s returning musical score and the slick visual aesthetics drew praise, a divided internet heavily scrutinized Shahid Kapoor’s casting, with numerous Twitter users publicly mourning the absence of Saif Ali Khan’s easy charm.