Ranbir Kapoor Bleeds In Gritty First Look From Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Love & War’
Ranbir Kapoor looks bruised, bloodied and effortlessly intense behind the wheel of a vintage car as Alia Bhatt unveils his striking first look from ‘Love & War’.
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The wait to catch the first official glimpse of Ranbir Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Love & War’ is officially over. The makers and cast unveiled the film’s striking first-look poster, offering audiences their first look at the actor’s character ahead of its theatrical debut in 2027. Shared across social media, the poster was dropped alongside the spirited caption by Bhansali Productions: “Woh rutba, woh raub, woh junoon!”
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Alia Bhatt posted the image with the caption, “SLB x RK. See you at the movies. Love and War. January 21, 2027”, while Vicky Kaushal shared the look on his handle, writing: “Here we go! RK… Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War on 21st January 2027. See you at the movies! #LoveAndWar”.
Check out Ranbir Kapoor’s first look from ‘Love & War’ here:
In the first look visual, Ranbir Kapoor can be seen seated behind the wheel of a classic vintage blue car, sporting dark sunglasses, a crisp white T-shirt, and a neat short buzz cut. While the styling leans into an understated retro charm, the intensity of the scene immediately draws focus: his left arm resting against the car door is heavily bruised, battered, and visibly bloodied.
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The visual triggered immediate reactions across the film industry and social media alike. Celebrities quickly flooded the comments section, with Ibrahim Ali Khan writing, “Jeez”, and Gauahar Khan exclaiming, “Uffff”. Fans were equally enthralled by the actor’s raw look, dropping comments such as “Killer look,” “Ranbir Kapoor like never before! Love the first look poster,” and “Ranbir Kapoor with all his charm is back!!!!! And we are seated for it.” Another user added, “Give this man anything & he is still gonna look SMOKING HOT,” with one remarking, “The kind of first look that makes you stop scrolling.”
‘Love & War’ brings together Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal for the first time in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial. The project marks a major milestone, reuniting Ranbir with Bhansali nearly two decades after his debut feature ‘Saawariya’ (2007). It also marks Bhansali’s reunion with Alia following ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ (2022), while representing his maiden collaboration with Vicky Kaushal.
The lead stars share their own prior screen chemistry: Ranbir and Vicky previously shared screen space in Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Sanju’, while Alia and Vicky starred together in Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Raazi’.
Written by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ila Bedi Dutta, the film also features veteran actor Supriya Pathak in a pivotal role. While the makers have maintained confidentiality around the narrative, reports describe ‘Love & War’ as a period romantic war drama. It has been reported that Ranbir and Vicky portray Indian Air Force officers whose journeys intertwine with Alia’s character, sparking a dramatic love triangle set against the backdrop of war where the two male leads find themselves at loggerheads.
The period drama has been in production since November 2024 and is mounted on an expansive scale, reportedly carrying a budget of Rs 425 crore. According to a report in Variety India, the principal actors skipped upfront fees for the project. The film has secured major commercial tie-ups ahead of its premiere, having reportedly locked a Rs 130 crore streaming agreement with Netflix, along with Rs 70-80 crore fetched through music and satellite rights.
Speaking about working on the project, choreographer Vijay Ganguly shared in a June interview with Variety India: “We did a piece with Ranbir and Alia. It's not a song, but it's a piece. What we did was magical because of what Sanjay Leela Bhansali came up with as an idea, what we did, and what Ranbir added to it in the process. I mean, when you see it, you will know. SLB is someone who will give you everything that you need. If I need five days, he will let me take six. So it's like you get everything with him. And creatively, he is involved in every small little process. So it's just a dream to work with someone like that.”
The team concluded primary filming in September 2026 following several gruelling schedules. Reports from Mid-day indicated that Bhansali later returned to sets to film additional war and battle sequences featuring Ranbir, Alia, and Vicky. To protect the storyline from pre-release leaks, the production implemented unprecedented security protocols, requiring over 500 cast and crew members to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to keep all visuals and set details strictly confidential.
After being rescheduled twice, ‘Love & War’ is slated for a worldwide release in theatres on January 21, 2027, across Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
