Cocktail 2 locks September release, avoids overlap with Shahid Kapoor’s O’ Romeo

Two films, one hero — and the release plan is set. Homi Adajania is eyeing a September release for Cocktail 2, a date that ensures a clear six-month gap after Shahid Kapoor’s earlier outing, Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’ Romeo, which hits theatres in February.

Vishal Bhardwaj with Shahid Kapoor on the set of ‘O’ Romeo’

“The gap was very consciously planned. O’ Romeo and Cocktail 2 are very different films, and no one wanted them stepping on each other’s toes. Six months gives Shahid the space to arrive with a new energy and image. From a trade point of view, it makes sense. Audiences need time to move on from one character before embracing the next. September gives Cocktail 2 its own identity,” informs our source.

The Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer is nearing completion, with the film firmly in its final stages. Sources close to the project tell mid-day that the edit is largely in place, and the makers are now concentrating on perfecting the soundtrack. “The film is more or less ready in terms of its narrative cut,” says an insider. “Right now, the maximum attention is on the songs — their sound mix, final arrangements, and how they flow within the film. Music is central to Cocktail 2, and the team wants to get it absolutely right.”