Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War will release worldwide on January 21, 2027, ahead of the Republic Day weekend, the makers announced on Friday. The romantic drama stars Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt, and is among the most anticipated Hindi films in development.
The film was originally announced for a Christmas 2025 release. Later, it was pushed to March, 2026. The release was shifted again owing to production delays. In January, reports emerged that the film will likely miss a 2026 release.
Mounted on a large scale, Love & War is a period romance reportedly centred on a love triangle. Bhansali, known for his epic dramas including the triangular romance Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), returns to the genre with what is described as his most ambitious project to date. According to earlier reports, the scale of Love and War—featuring VFX-heavy aerial action sequences—delayed production, leading to a missed 2026 release window.
Produced by Bhansali Productions and Jio Studios, Love & War will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The film marks Vicky Kaushal’s first collaboration with Bhansali, while both Kapoor and Bhatt have previously worked with the celebrated auteur. Kapoor made his debut in Bhansali’s Saawariya (2007), and Bhatt won acclaim for her titular role in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022).
In an earlier conversation with THR India, Bhansali had denied rumours that Love & War is a modern-day adaptation of Raj Kapoor’s iconic film Sangam (1964).
"I love Sangam. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) is also like Sangam, where I tried to make Aishwarya Rai [Bachchan] into Vyjayanthimala, who’s the most beautiful woman on the Indian screen, according to me... I wish I had met him [Raj Kapoor] for five minutes. But [considering] all my love for Raj Kapoor, you never remake a great director’s classic," he had said.
