COCKTAIL stirs up the SPIRITS. Review on Cocktail

The little baby prancing up and down the steps was delightful. Gurgling, jumping up and down. Her doting father in the Singapore theatre was so loving. He actually picked her frequently and stood near my seat and cootchie cooing sweet little lullabies to keep her entertained away from the seats occupied by his relatives. The baby, as usually innocent ones do, walked over to some seats where chirpy young ladies patted her patiently while the doting father stood some distance away. Sometime later one of the male relatives got up to exchange positions with the father and stood near his seat oblivious that he was so nicely blocking the view of the patrons in the rows behind. And despite all this Cocktail was a pleasant experience!

Cocktail tries to shock you like JWM, LAK and Rockstar  before it and to a great extent succeeds. Does it disturb? Not in the least as the writer Imtiaz and director Homi skillfully weave modern permissiveness with the still remnant yearning for value system sprinkled generously with delightful doses  of comical and witty dialogues,all aided by outstanding acting by the entire ensemble.

There is a NRI software professional who picks and beds women so easily that at his screen 32 and real life 44 makes us envious. Along the journey he bumps into an effervescent Deepika who looks like she walked straight out of her song in Dum Maaro Dum especially in the disco sequences. She picks him easily and heads home where she has already given shelter to another homeless abandoned woman Diana Penty ( endearing performance) and this is the cocktail of heady romance brewed and frothed till it almost spills over. The movie is then about who romances who and who ends up with whom. There is no major crisis here. No major or worrying plot lines to make you want to start furrowing your brows.

You are giggling and smiling at the naughty dialogues and want to whisper to your neighbor. “ Hey I am 40plus too” . At least it works for Saif ! There are the sub plots with Boman and Dimple Kapadia as the uncle and mother, playing their brief roles excellently, making you want them to come more frequently on the scene.

The movie shocks . Yes. Maybe not everybody’s cup of permissiveness. But for those who have moved to a new arena and enjoy democratic immorality without crying foul actually will see the innocence and depth of love in this. There are no solutions really. And that is the beautiful part of the move. All characters moving around in their greys.

Music is catchy and gives Saif to grin and dance with gay abandon with Deepika who has now with slender slim frame mastered the grace to lend to such dances. Diana is endearing, does not try too hard and displays huge potential to impress in future too.

The movie does move like a sinusoidal wave peaking and flagging in pace. But you do not mind it. For when it crackles you are grinning from ear to ear ! And I did grin all the way back home promising myself a regular gym trek to go la Saif !

Folks that loved Imtiaz ‘s earlier films will like his writing jugalbandi with Homi’s direction.

This cocktail will sure stir up your spirits!