Every few years, Shahid Kapoor reminds us how good he is. Every few years Bollywood starts forgetting. It’s a strange disappointment to see a talented actor disappear suddenly. They disappear not because they’re bad or have stopped trying, but because their movie seems unsure what to do with them.

This feeling remains after watching cocktail 2. Set against the postcard-perfect backdrop of Sicily, filled with glamorous parties, attractive people and 16-year-old relationship drama, the film has all the ingredients of a dazzling Bollywood entertainer. It also stars Shahid Kapoor, an actor who at his best can convey heartbreak, anger and weakness with surprising ease.

And yet, somehow, he feels strangely absent.

The irony is hard to ignore. While Kriti Sanon in the hottest outfit from Anaita Shroff Adajania’s wardrobe carries most of the emotional weight of the film and some of its most memorable moments, Shahid’s Kunal often feels like a supporting player in his story. Rashmika Mandanna also struggles with parts of her performance, though credit goes to her remarkably improved Hindi diction and honest effort. But it’s Shahid’s performance that surprises the most – and perhaps also the most disappointing.

Not because he is poor. Because he is capable of much more.

In key emotional moments of the film, particularly those involving the breakdown of a long-term relationship, director Homi Adajania treated her badly. Shahid’s reactions seem strangely muted. Heartbreak is never too deep. The pain remains on the surface. Scenes that should have been devastating proceed politely (with oddly placed BGM), as if the emotions have been carefully sorted out before reaching the screen.

For an actor whose greatest strength has always been emotional expression, this seems unusual…it seems disturbing.

After all, this is the same Shahid Kapoor who gave us Haider – a performance so layered and haunting that it remains one of the best of modern Hindi cinema. This is the actor who changed himself BastardSwitching effortlessly between vulnerability and unpredictability. This is the man who made the audience fall in love with Aditya Kashyap when we metCreating a character so warm and emotionally available that people still quote him almost two decades later.

Those performances were not accidents. He revealed an actor capable of remarkable depth when given material worthy of his talent.

Which raises an uncomfortable question: Has Shahid changed, or has the script stopped challenging him? The answer may lie somewhere in the middle, but cocktail 2 Points more clearly towards the latter.

Kunal is not a poorly written character. He just isn’t written well enough. The film appears to be more interested in the journeys of its female protagonists than exploring the inner lives of its male protagonists. Shahid spends most of the story reacting to events rather than taking them forward. His emotional struggles are mentioned but rarely explored. Their heartbreaking experience is explained instead. Their sentiments are supported by a hilarious car chase sequence long before the actual acceptance.

Actors can elevate weak writing only to a certain extent. Even the most talented artist needs a script that can trust them with complexity.

However, Bollywood has had a strange relationship with Shahid Kapoor for a long time. The industry immediately acknowledged his talent, praised his versatility and celebrated his performances. Yet this often leads to him being cast in films that seem content to use only a fraction of what he has to offer.

He is often ranked as the charming leading man, stylish romantic hero, bankable star presence. But somewhere, filmmakers forget that he is one of the most emotionally intelligent actors of his generation.

The result is a career brimming with flashes of talent punctuated by roles that feel oddly safe.

There’s a quiet irony in how the industry constantly talks about Shahid’s “potential”, when he’s already proven himself time and again. Few mainstream actors have his range. Fewer still can move so seamlessly between commercial cinema and character-based storytelling.

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Yet every few years, audiences ask themselves the same question: Why isn’t Bollywood giving Shahid Kapoor better roles?

Maybe that’s because the industry remains obsessed with formulas. It’s easier to package dazzling love stories, exotic locations and chart-topping soundtracks than complex human beings. Perhaps the filmmaker believes that Shahid’s charisma is enough.

But charisma has never been the most interesting thing about him.

what made Haider, Bastard And when we met The special thing was not just Shahid’s screen presence. It was the opportunity those films gave him to be messy, confrontational, vulnerable and unpredictable.

cocktail 2 This is not likely to harm his career. The film is quite entertaining and the audience has put in a lot of effort to watch it. Yet behind its commercial success lies a familiar disappointment.

Because every now and then, the camera catches a fleeting glimpse of the Shahid Kapoor we know is still there. The real tragedy is that even Bollywood keeps seeing those glimpses – and still writes it down as lesser than it deserves.