Khan says 'Cocktail' hero was hard due to Padukone's Veronica

Entertainment Jun 20, 2026

Turns out, Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan were both offered the lead in the 2012 film Cocktail before Saif Ali Khan stepped in.
Saif shared that it was tough to find a hero for the movie, probably because Deepika Padukone's character Veronica was such a scene-stealer.
He joked that everyone should be thankful he took on the role, since they ended up having a great time making it.

Kapoor doubted 'Cocktail' but praised Padukone

Ranbir wasn't sure about Deepika doing Cocktail and even told her not to take it, but she trusted her gut and went ahead anyway.
Looking back, Ranbir admitted he didn't love the film itself but became "a big fan" of Deepika's performance.