20 May,2026 03:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mashooqa still - Pic via YouTube screenshot
As the buzz around Cocktail 2 continues to grow, the makers recently released another romantic and peppy track from the upcoming film. Titled Mashooqa, the song shows the chemistry between Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon. While the song has created quite some buzz for the visuals, a section of users on the internet has accused the makers of copying the tune from a 1993 Italian song titled Se So Arrubate A Nonna.
A user on Reddit user recently shared clips from the latest song alongside the 1993 track, highlighting the striking similarities between the tunes. Soon, several users joined the discussion, claiming that the music sounded almost identical. One user wrote, "It's still a dull song even after Pritam copied it." Another user wrote, "Fork found in kitchen." One comment noted, "Bollywood copying again?" while another read, "It sounds the same."
A user even took a dig at Pritam and joked, "Pritam can't stop copying lol."
Meanwhile, some users stepped up to defend composer Pritam, arguing that the song may have been inspired through sampling rather than direct copying. One Reddit user went on to explain, "This is called sampling, not stealing/copying. It's when you take the main beat of a song and layer other instruments over it with changed lyrics. It's a very popular concept in the music industry. Pitbull, Taylor Swift, Kanye and many more artists also sample songs."
The original song, Se So Arrubate A Nonna, is a comedic Neapolitan track by Italian duo Bibi and Coco, which was released in 1993 as part of their album Le Origini Vol. 2. The title roughly translates to 'The Kidnapped Grandma' in the Neapolitan dialect. Although the song wasn't a global hit, it has enjoyed a cult following over the years.
Mashooqa from Cocktail 2 has been composed by Pritam and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. It is sung by Raghav Chaitanya and Mahmood Ruaa Kayy, with the Italian portions written and performed by Mahmood. The song shows Kriti and Shahid's characters travelling together and gradually falling in love.
Despite the plagiarism row, many fans are loving the chemistry between Shahid and Kriti. Directed by Homi Adajania, Cocktail 2 also features Rashmika Mandanna in a lead role. It serves as a spiritual sequel to the 2012 hit Cocktail, which starred Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty. The film is set to release in theatres on June 19.
