Bhansali Productions dropped the actress's first poster from the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film days after revealing Ranbir Kapoor's look, teasing a retro, glamorous character ahead of the January 2027 release.
Bhansali Productions put out Alia Bhatt's first look from Love & War on Thursday, and it's nothing like the Gangubai Kathiawadi register audiences last saw her in with this director. She's seated on a chair, styled in a slit skirt with a headpiece, the whole frame built around a retro, cabaret kind of glamour. The caption on the post reads "Aag bhi, dilon ki jaan bhi" — fire, and also the one who owns every heart in the room.
The reveal follows Ranbir Kapoor's poster, which came out first, and the two drops together suggest Bhansali Productions is running a steady character-by-character rollout rather than one big trailer drop. Vicky Kaushal completes the lead trio, though his look hasn't surfaced yet.
What's notable here isn't just the styling. It's the setting. Love & War is contemporary, a real break from the period canvases Bhansali has worked in for years now, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Heeramandi, Padmaavat. A cabaret-inspired look for Alia within a modern-day story is a different kind of flex than anything he's shown recently, and it's the sort of detail that tells you more about the film's tone than any logline would.
There's also the reunion math to consider. This is Alia's second film with Bhansali after Gangubai Kathiawadi, a performance that's still spoken of as a high point in her filmography. She's back opposite Ranbir Kapoor after Brahmastra, and back with Vicky Kaushal after Raazi. Three actors, three separate prior pairings, none of them together on screen before this. That's the pitch, really. Familiar faces in combinations audiences haven't actually watched play out yet.
Love & War is set for a worldwide release on January 21, 2027, and will open in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Bollywood Hungama had earlier reported that the film's teaser might get pushed to release alongside Ranbir Kapoor's other big 2026-27 bet, Ramayana, though nothing on that front has been confirmed by the makers.
For now, it's two posters and a caption. Whether Vicky Kaushal's first look drops next, or whether the makers hold it back for a trailer, isn't clear. What is clear is that Bhansali's marketing machine is in no hurry, dripping out just enough to keep the film in conversation four months before a teaser is even guaranteed. January is still a long way off, and at this pace, there's a lot of poster real estate left to fill before then.
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