Shahid Kapoor-Kriti Sanon’s Cocktail 2 crosses the Rs 5 crore mark, over 1.6 lakh tickets sold ahead of release
Bollywood’s rom-com era is back with Homi Adajania’s directorial, Cocktail 2. Starring Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandanna, it made its release on the big screen on Friday, June 19. A classic love triangle, the spiritual sequel of the 2012 blockbuster hit is double the emotions, charged up with modern romance.
Cocktail 2 advance booking and opening day expectations
‘Cocktail 2’ exceeded its advance booking on an impressive note. The movie witnessed booking worth 5.57 crore, with over 1.6 lakh tickets sold ahead of its release, as per Sacnilk. These figures make the film one of the highest-grossing pre-rele,ase performances in 2026, competing closely with Imitiaz Ali’s ‘Main Vapas Aaunga’.
Based on its pre-bookings, experts estimate the movie to earn Rs. 9 crore to Rs. 11 crore net at the Indian box office on Day 1.
The film has over 76.8k interested viewers on the online ticketing platform, BookMyShow. The tickets range from Rs 93 in local single-screen halls to as high as Rs 2050 in premium multiplexes in metro cities like Delhi NCR.
Cocktail 2 – Early movie reviews
Shahid Kapoor’s Cocktail 2 has received mixed responses on X. A large section of users has praised Kriti Sanon, with many calling her the film’s biggest strength. Shahid Kapoor’s performance has also received positive feedback, though some felt his character could have been written better.
The film’s songs, visuals, and overall look have been appreciated by many. On the other hand, several viewers said the story and screenplay do not leave the same emotional impact as the original Cocktail, starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty.
Cocktail 2 received the third-highest advance booking for a Bollywood film this year after Dhurandhar 2 and Border 2. The Rashmika Mandanna-Kriti Sanon starrer has left behind the other releases, such as Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, and others, which went below expectations.
A spiritual successor to ‘Cocktail’
‘Cocktail’ and ‘Cocktail 2’ are considered connected as a spiritual successor rather than a direct sequel because they share the same core idea and tonality, instead of continuing the original story. It hinders the previous emotional and relationship-driven essence of the 2012 film while introducing a completely new story. While Cocktail featured Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty, the upcoming Cocktail 2 brings together a new trio of Shaheed Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandanna.
The fate of Cocktail 2 is crucial for Shahid Kapoor, as his last two outings, O’ Romeo and Deva, didn’t strike the right chords with the audience. While Shahid and Kriti have shared the screen space before in ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha jiya’ its first time for Rashmika.