The deal puts Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal's period drama into the hands of a distributor already juggling King, Samuk and a five-film slate with Luv Films.
Pen Marudhar has picked up the All India distribution rights for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War, according to Pinkvilla, which cited exclusive information on the deal. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal, and it's now set to open the new year for the distributor right after it closes this one with Shah Rukh Khan's King.
The money side of the arrangement hasn't been disclosed. Pinkvilla's report notes it's reasonable to assume this is a commission-based deal with a sizeable advance paid upfront, which is standard practice for a film carrying this kind of star weight, but the actual figures remain undisclosed for now.
What's locked in is the date. Love and War releases worldwide on January 21, 2027, timed for the Republic Day week, and it'll roll out in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. That's after two prior postponements, so this date carries a bit more weight than the ones that came before it.
The film is currently wrapping its final schedule. The marketing push has already started, with character posters for the three leads out in the world. Supriya Pathak also features in the cast.
There's a fair bit riding on the reunions here. Ranbir hasn't worked with Bhansali since Saawariya, nearly two decades ago now, and Alia is back in his world for the first time since Gangubai Kathiawadi. It's also the first time all three leads are sharing a Bhansali set together. Ranbir and Vicky go back to Sanju, and Alia and Vicky worked together on Raazi, so the pairings aren't new even if the combination is.
For Pen Marudhar, this is one more addition to a pipeline that's getting crowded fast. Beyond King and Love and War, the studio holds distribution rights for Akshay Kumar's Samuk, and it's signed a five-film partnership with Luv Films that covers the Sourav Ganguly biopic and Luv Ranjan's next directorial. Tamannaah's The Vvaan is already running in theatres under the studio's banner.
Pinkvilla's report also flags that several more deals are in early-stage talks, with formal announcements expected over the coming months. If even half of that pipeline firms up, Pen Marudhar will be sitting on one of the more stacked release calendars in the industry heading into next year.
For now, the date to watch is January 21, 2027. Whether Love and War holds that slot without a third delay is the next thing to find out, and given the film's history of shifting schedules, nobody's treating it as gospel just yet.
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