With just days left before Cocktail 2 arrives in theatres, one of the film’s longest-running rumours has resurfaced once again. Ever since the project was announced, social media and entertainment circles have been buzzing with speculation that Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna’s characters share a romantic relationship in the film. Despite multiple clarifications from the cast and makers over the past few months, the discussion refuses to die down.
Now, a fresh promotional event for the film has added another viral moment to the conversation. This time, it was Rashmika Mandanna’s reaction that caught everyone’s attention when the question about a supposed same-sex love story was raised once more in front of the cast.
Rashmika’s Reaction Goes Viral During Promotions
During a recent fan interaction held as part of the film’s promotional campaign, Kriti Sanon, Rashmika Mandanna and Shahid Kapoor were fielding questions from the audience when one attendee brought up the rumour directly. The question asked whether Cocktail 2 features a lesbian love story between the two actresses’ characters.
Before anyone could fully respond, Rashmika broke into laughter, visibly amused by the persistence of the speculation. The moment quickly spread across social media, with fans sharing clips from the event. Kriti stepped in immediately to clear the air and said, “There is no lesbian story.”
Still smiling after composing herself, Rashmika added, “I know, we do have that chemistry.”
The exchange generated laughter among the crowd, but Kriti went a step further to explain the nature of the film’s relationships. “We are three straight people, guys. It’s only an emotional threesome, not physical.”
Their comments once again dismissed a theory that has followed the project since its production phase, despite there never being any official confirmation from the filmmakers.
How Did The Rumour Even Start?
Interestingly, the people behind the film have addressed this exact topic before. During the trailer launch event earlier this month, similar questions were directed at the cast after online discussions intensified following the release of promotional material.
Director Homi Adajania explained that the rumour actually began from a casual conversation among the team while filming. According to him, the idea was never part of the movie but became a talking point after a lighthearted discussion on set.
“This is where the rumour came from. We were all sitting on the set. They definitely get a little cuddly with each other because they are friends. And we just hypothetically thought what if the story was about them and Shahid was the third wheel? And I said I wouldn’t mind making a movie like that.”
His explanation offered some insight into why speculation gained momentum online. Fans often interpret on-screen chemistry and behind-the-scenes camaraderie as clues about a film’s plot, especially when trailers intentionally keep story details hidden.
Makers Clarify What Cocktail 2 Is Really About
Producer Dinesh Vijan also addressed the rumours during the trailer launch and made it clear that audiences may have read too much into certain scenes from the film’s marketing campaign.
“We were supposed to clear this up. In the trailer there are two love stories. Purana love aur naya love and ye Luv (Ranjan). Aur kuchh nahi hai kisi ka love nahi hai is picture mein.(There’s old love, new love, and then there’s this Luv (Ranjan). That’s it. There isn’t anyone else’s love story in this film).”
The clarification appears to align with what the promotional material has shown so far. While Cocktail 2 seems to explore complicated emotional relationships between its central characters, the team insists that the narrative does not involve a romantic relationship between Kriti and Rashmika’s characters.
The repeated need to address the topic highlights how quickly fan theories can take on a life of their own, particularly when a film features popular stars and deliberately mysterious storytelling.
A New Story in the Cocktail Universe
Directed by Homi Adajania, Cocktail 2 is being presented as a spiritual successor to the 2012 hit Cocktail, which starred Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty. The original film became one of the most talked-about romantic dramas of its time and remains a fan favourite more than a decade later.
However, Kriti Sanon has repeatedly emphasized that the new film is not a direct continuation of that story. Instead, it uses the Cocktail brand while introducing an entirely fresh narrative, new characters and a different emotional dynamic. The movie stars Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles and aims to explore modern relationships through a new lens.
With its release scheduled for June 19, the film has already generated significant attention through its trailers, songs and cast chemistry. Whether audiences embrace the new chapter the same way they did the original remains to be seen, but one thing is certain — the cast is ready to put the ongoing rumours to rest once and for all when the film finally reaches theatres.
