The comparisons were inevitable from the minute that Maddock Films revealed that there would be a spiritual sequel to their 2012 romantic movie. With the release of Cocktail 2 in theatres on June 19, 2026, Kriti Sanon is now facing immense pressure as she joins a franchise that has been marked by Deepika Padukone’s game-changing portrayal of Veronica.
Sanson is not shying away from the shadow cast by the original movie but rather embracing it. In her recent interview with Filmfare magazine, Sanson has directly referred to Padukone’s multi-faceted role as Veronica Mehta over Diana Penty’s Meera who was a traditional girl.
“Veronica Had a Lot of Depth and Damage”
Without much deliberation when asked who out of the three she would have liked to be cast as, Sanon did not waste much time. Passing up the traditional and domestic persona of Meera, she opted for the layered and tumultuous spirit of the troubled party girl from the original film.
“Veronica, definitely. Veronica had a lot of depth and damage. There was a whole arc and a lot of layers to that character. It was a little more edgy role at that point of time.”
What Sanon points out is really at the root of why Veronica continues to be considered a timeless character. Veronica under Homi Adajania was not only a glamorous archetype, but a vulnerable woman who harbored a deep pain inside herself. It was a character that would completely transform Padukone’s career in Bollywood.
The Fresh Conflicts of Ally vs. Veronica
Ally in Cocktail 2, which is played by Sanon, is an extremely independent and spirited lady whose actions lead to disruption in the already established couple of college lovers Kunal (played by Shahid Kapoor) and Diya (played by Rashmika Mandanna).
Despite having already been compared to Veronica because of her stylish look and disrupting presence, Sanon states that the inner workings of these two characters are completely different from each other.
Embodying an Effortless State of Mind
Sanon said it was difficult to portray the relaxed, carefree vibe of her new character because it needed a change in attitude rather than any preparation in advance of the shoot. “I remember telling Homi Adajania that I did not feel like a cool girl. You cannot prepare to be cool. It is an attitude,” she explained. “Ally is definitely not someone who tries to make herself noticeable; she is extremely unhinged. She is magnetic.”
A Completely Different Narrative Playground
Speaking about the constant comparisons of her previous role with this one, Sanon stated that she understands the expectation from the box office, but sees the two characters as independent people who face a totally different ethical dilemma.
“Do I expect the comparison? Yes, I do. It’s kind of obvious. The characters, somewhere, have a similar energy of being slightly disruptive, unhinged and free-spirited. But Ally and Veronica are so different and I’m glad that they’re different. Why would I play the same character that Deepika has already done? That doesn’t make sense. That’s what’s fresh about Cocktail 2. It’s a completely different story with completely different conflicts.”
Unlike the first story when it was clear that Saif Ali Khan’s character moved on from his living together girlfriend, Cocktail 2, written by Luv Ranjan and Tarun Jain, focuses on more complicated matters related to testing the loyalty of your lover using someone else, which led to an emotional conflict in modern society.