Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next venture is the much-anticipated romantic saga starring
Ranbir Kapoor,
Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal titled 'Love and War.' Latest reports have suggested that marverick filmmaker is ready to unveil the first glimpse in January 2026. The film has generated a significant buzz among fans and cinephiles alike with leaked images from the film's shooting doing the rounds across social media platforms.
'Love and War' first glimpse to be unveiled in January 2026
The film was first announced by Bhansali in January 2024. Earlier reports have suggested that the film pits Kapoor against Kaushal and the intense climax scene has been shot in Sicily. Now, Mid day has reported that the first glimpse of 'Love and War' will be unveiled through a poster or pictures from the sets in January 2026. The first glimpse has been meticulously created by Bhansali himself. While the leaked images has sparked a curiosity among fans and netizens alike, Bhansali reportedly wants the audiences to see his vision of 'Love and War.'
Ranbir & Vicky fly economy and hug it out at the Mumbai airport after 'Love & War' wrap
Release date of 'Love and War'
In October 2025, a Bollywood Hungama report stated that the film would be missing its Eid 2026 deadline owing to significant production delays. It was running 40 days behind schedule at the time of reporting and the film still requires approximately 75 days of shooting.
To speed up the process, Bhansali had requested stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal to provide bulk dates through Summer 2026. The film was originally slated for Christmas 2025 release and then March 2026, but the release is now expected to be the second half of 2026. This postponement was to avoid a major box office clash with Yash's 'Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-ups'.
Furthermore, while the first glimpse is touted to drop in January 2026, the theatrical release date of 'Love and War' is still unconfirmed after the March 19 date was postponed to August 14, 2026, according to Variety.
Alia Bhatt's schedule for 'Love and War'
Additionally, the film has also neared completion with Alia Bhatt having shot for a wedding sequence with Ranbir Kapoor in Mumbai. She will wrap up her schedule with a climax scene with the male leads who would continue to shoot for another six weeks, as reported by Mid day.
In a recent conversation with Grazia, Bhatt shared her experience working with husband Ranbir Kapoor for SLB's film. She revealed, “It sounds cheesy, but there are no cons to this—only pros. We’ve shot most of the film at night, so we’re usually with her during the day. There are days he’s shooting, days I am. We’re not always on set together."
Vicky Kaushal opens up about Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Notably, 'Love and War' marks Vicky Kaushal's first collaboration with Sanjay Leela Bhansali as Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor have worked with him in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' and 'Saawariya' respectively. Kaushal hails the experience as a transformative learning one. Kaushal helmed him as the "master of exploring of what this character or these two characters or these three characters, could do in a given circumstance", in a candid conversation with The Hollywood Reporter.
About 'Love and War'
According to Variety, 'Love and War' is an epic saga of passion, pride, and conflict. The film promises Bhansali's signature style of storytelling and high production value.