"What can be better than this?"
Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt will star in a film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Described as an “epic saga”, the movie will also feature Vicky Kaushal and is titled Love and War.
Love and War is scheduled to be released during Christmas 2025.
In recent months, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next project was the subject of many rumours.
It was reported that Bhansali would attempt to revive his shelved film Inshallah. The film was announced in 2019 and was set to feature Alia with Salman Khan.
However, the film was then abandoned, reportedly due to creative reasons.
It was also rumoured that the filmmaker would be remaking the classic Baiju Bawra (1952).
While this project has also been postponed, there are allegedly plans for it to be revisited in the future.
Alia confirmed Love and War via her Instagram account. The actress posted a picture that announced the film with a simple heart emoji as the caption.
The announcement garnered positive and enthusiastic reactions from fans and film personalities.
Karan Johar could not contain his excitement as he posted several heart emojis underneath the picture.
Meanwhile, a fan commented: “My three favourites in one movie. What can be better than this?”
A second praised Ranbir and said: “The most talented actor of this generation coming together with the magician SLB!!!! CAN’T WAIT.”
A third gushed: “OMG, I’m soooo excited!”
Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed Ranbir in his acting debut Saawariya (2007). Though a box office disappointment, that debut kicked off a marvellous career for Ranbir.
During an appearance on Koffee With Karan in 2016, Karan Johar asked Ranbir why he had not worked with Bhansali since his first film.
To this, the actor responded:
“Personal reasons aside, I think the most cinematic influence in my life has come from Sanjay Leela Bhansali.”
“I went to New York for three years and I went to an acting school, but what I learned from Bhansali in just nine months of time on the sets of Black (2005), I don’t think I can learn that anywhere in the world.
“I think a certain disadvantage with Sanjay Leela Bhansali is that he’s such a genius and he’s so crazy, that sometimes he goes so far away from the script because he wants to improvise and create some magic moment onscreen, you can go up and down.
“As a filmmaker, as someone who represents culture in the country and as somebody who represents music in the country, he really nurtures all of that and really expresses it onscreen.”
Love and War marks Ranbir and Alia’s second film together after Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva (2022).
It also signifies Ranbir and Vicky’s third collaboration after Bombay Velvet (2015) and Sanju (2018).
Sanjay Leela Bhansali previously directed Alia in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022).
For her performance, Alia won the 2023 Filmfare award for ‘Best Actress’.
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