'Kriti Is Bohemian In Cocktail 2, Deepika Was More Of A Fashion Girl In Cocktail,' Says Stylist Anaita Shroff

Twelve years have passed since Homi Adajania's Cocktail defined the fashion game of Bollywood. Fashion is an integral part of the Cocktail franchise, so much so that we can't imagine the characters wearing a regular shirt-and-pant every day.

Ace stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania is on the same boat as us.

Ahead of the release of the film Cocktail 2, a spiritual sequel to the 2012 film, Anaita sat down for an exclusive chat with NDTV, decoding the style statements of Shahid Kapoor (Kunal), Kriti Sanon (Ally) and Rashmika Mandanna (Diya), how swimsuits play an important role in the franchise, and how dressing complements characterization.

'Veronica Was A Fashion Girl, Ally Is Bohemian'

Before we meet Diya (Rashmika) and Ally (Kriti) in Cocktail 2, Meera (Diana Penty) and Veronica (Deepika) and their impeccable style statements demand a revisit. How did Anaita make sure that the new looks don't evoke déjà vu?

'There's no worry for me. As a stylist, I am very driven by what the character is, what the director is looking for in each character. And then I create my style profile for each one. So I don't think there's anything related to the first Cocktail in terms of the characters.

'I think Ally and Diya are very different women. These are girls who have had different lives. But I feel like, if you want to compare, Meera was more conservative, whereas Diya is not conservative. She is a girl who has seen life, lived life. Whereas Ally's character is definitely more bohemian and cool, which I don't think Veronica was. Veronica was more of a fashion girl. And yeah, the way she put looks together was very, very cool. But I feel Ally's character is intrinsically bohemian,' Anaita decodes the look book.

Cocktail And Swimsuits

In the trailer of Cocktail 2, Kriti Sanon has amped up the glamour quotient in a multi-coloured swimsuit.

In an era of omnipresent Instagram and fashion policing, how does Anaita pull off a bang-on bikini look with different actors?

'In our films, the swimsuit has always got a lot of importance, I guess because, you know, it's celebrating the most beautiful form, which is the female form. It's celebrating that.

'And for me, as a stylist, I think it's very natural because if you are going to go to the sea, if you're going to swim, you are going to wear a swimsuit. That's what even I would do, right? Now, what kind of swimsuit, what color — that's all where we get the cinematic liberty to play. Like you said, in Cocktail, Deepika wore this coral-coloured swimsuit. And I remember it so clearly because it was like a shell pattern and it was very new at that time. And I thought that colour complemented her skin beautifully,' Anaita says.

'With Kriti, like I said to you earlier, her character is very bohemian. So I felt like a plain colour would be very boring. So we brought in batiks and a little bit of a tie-dye pattern. I think there's a little bit of tassel as well. And, you know, it's just a clean bikini, actually. There's nothing complicated about it. Whereas if you think of my work in War 2 with Kiara (Advani), you know, I went with this metallic, neon, greeny-yellow swimsuit. So it is a scene that I get very invested in — how these girls work out so hard, and it's to show them in their best light,' Anaita continues.

'So I have been very lucky over the years. But for me, a swimsuit is just one costume in a film. It's not like the big moment. It's as important as what she sleeps in. So it's just that I want everything to look good. I want her to look good even in her pyjamas. So I give it the same importance. Now the audience may have a different view, but that's not on me,' Anaita sums up.

Does Homi Adajania Bring The Best Out Of Anaita?

Anaita has been married to director Homi Adajania since 2002. They are parents to two sons.

Asked if Homi brings out the best in Anaita, she says, 'Homi definitely brings the best out of Anaita in life. But I think in films, he's a very, very receptive director. He's also very clear on what he likes and doesn't like. So that makes it very easy. He's also extremely decisive. So you can lock an entire film and move on. You don't have the stress every day of what we are going to wear. It's all clear.'

If she was not a stylist, what profession would she have chosen? 'Originally, I wanted to be a designer. I became a stylist by default. And I thank God for that. Because I think there are way more talented designers in this world. I think I would be a hairdresser if I wasn't a stylist,' Anaita chuckles.

Cocktail 2, directed by Homi Adajania, is releasing in theatres on June 19.

Also Read | Cocktail 2 Trailer Spins The Wheel Of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Loveology: 'Pyaar Dosti Hai'