Sanjay Leela Bhansali has kept the world of Love & War under wraps for much of its lengthy production, even as glimpses from the sets and the film's casting continued to fuel curiosity. Bringing together Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal, the romantic war drama has been in the making for nearly two years and has gone through multiple changes to its release plans.
The film completed its principal photography earlier this month, with Bhansali subsequently returning to shoot portions of the war sequences with the lead cast. Several recent reports said the filmmaker wanted to further work on the battle portions, with Ranbir, Alia and Vicky returning for an additional week of filming.
The wait for an official glimpse has now ended with the makers unveiling the first-look poster of Ranbir Kapoor from Love & War on Thursday. In the retro-styled poster, Ranbir is seen behind the wheel of a vintage turquoise convertible, sporting slicked-back hair, a pencil moustache, round sunglasses and a light-coloured knit polo shirt. The striking detail, however, is his bruised and bloodied left arm resting outside the car. The poster also confirms the film's January 21, 2027 theatrical release.
Accompanying the poster, the makers wrote, “Woh rutba, woh raub, woh junoon!” The contrast between Ranbir's composed appearance and the injuries on his arm offers the first real visual hint of the turbulent world surrounding his character, while Bhansali's familiar period detailing is evident in the vintage cars and architecture seen in the background.
Love & War marks Ranbir's reunion with the filmmaker after Saawariya, which also marked the actor's debut in 2007. For Alia, it is her second collaboration with the auteur after Gangubai Kathiawadi, while Vicky Kaushal is working with Bhansali for the first time. The film is set against a war backdrop, with the three actors forming its central cast.
The film was originally announced for a Christmas 2025 release before being pushed to 2026 and eventually to January 2027. Bhansali Productions officially confirmed the January 21 date earlier this year, with the film set for release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
