Love & War first look confirms Ranbir Kapoor film for IMAX

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War unveiled its first look on 24 September 2026, putting Ranbir Kapoor at the centre of a striking poster that combines glamour with signs of violence. Bollywood Hungama reported that the poster also confirms the film will be released in IMAX when it arrives worldwide on 21 January 2027.

Written and directed by Bhansali, Love & War stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. The film will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, with its January date placing it in the Republic Day week.

• First look unveiled: 24 September 2026.
• Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal.
• Writer-director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
• Worldwide release: 21 January 2027.
• Languages: Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
• Format: The poster carries the words “Experience in IMAX”, confirming an IMAX release.

Love & War first look puts Ranbir Kapoor behind the wheel

The first-look poster gives Ranbir Kapoor the spotlight. He is shown driving a stylish blue vintage convertible, wearing sunglasses and a moustache. One of the most conspicuous details is his arm, which is smeared with blood.

The combination of the polished vintage car, Kapoor's appearance and the blood on his arm gives the first image a contrast between elegance and danger. The visual hints that beneath the romance and grandeur promised by the title lies an intense and possibly violent conflict.

The words Love & War are emblazoned across the car door, while the release date appears at the bottom of the poster. Rather than revealing further details through additional characters or scenes, the first look centres its attention on Kapoor and the visual tension created around him.

Love & War confirmed for IMAX release in January 2027

The poster also settles an important detail about how the film will be presented in cinemas. Bollywood Hungama reported that the branding in the bottom-right corner includes the words “Experience in IMAX”, confirming that Love & War will have an IMAX release.

The film is scheduled to release worldwide on 21 January 2027. It will be presented in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, giving the Bhansali-directed project a three-language release when it reaches cinemas.

The IMAX confirmation is particularly notable in the context of Bhansali's earlier work. Love & War will not be his first film to play in the format, but it will mark his return to IMAX after nine years.

Bhansali returns to IMAX nine years after Padmaavat

Bhansali's previous IMAX release was Padmaavat, his 2018 epic. The film was released in IMAX 3D and, according to Bollywood Hungama, did strong business in the format. Love & War therefore brings the filmmaker back to IMAX nine years later.

There is another calendar connection between the two films. Like Padmaavat, Love & War is set to arrive during the Republic Day week. Its worldwide release is fixed for 21 January 2027.

Date	Milestone
2018	Padmaavat released in IMAX 3D and did strong business in the format.
24 September 2026	Love & War first-look poster unveiled, confirming an IMAX release.
21 January 2027	Love & War scheduled to release worldwide in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

The nine-year gap makes the IMAX branding on the new poster more than a technical detail. It reconnects Bhansali with a format previously used for Padmaavat, while the Republic Day-week release gives the two films another point in common.

Poster arrives with new background music and social media announcement

The makers released background music alongside the first-look poster. The visual and music arrived together as part of the film's announcement on 24 September, giving audiences their first major presentation of the project ahead of its January release.

The poster was shared on social media with the caption: “Woh rutba, woh raub, woh junoon! Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War on 21st January 2027. See you at the movies!”

The wording draws attention to the scale and intensity associated with the film's presentation, while the poster itself establishes Kapoor's look and the blood-streaked detail that introduces an element of conflict. Saregama is among the credits visible on the announcement post.

Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal lead Love & War

Love & War brings together Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal under Bhansali's direction. Bhansali has also written the film, placing him at the centre of both its screenplay and direction.

The first poster focuses on Kapoor rather than presenting all three principal actors together. His sunglasses, moustache and position behind the wheel of the blue convertible establish the first character image from the film, while the blood on his arm gives the otherwise stylish composition a harsher edge.

Bollywood Hungama's report describes the visual as suggesting that the romance and grandeur implied by the title may sit alongside an intense and potentially violent conflict. Beyond that visual suggestion, the first-look campaign keeps its focus on the film's principal cast, release date and presentation format.

Bhansali's visual scale fits the IMAX announcement

Bhansali is known for mounting films on a spectacular scale, with opulent production design, lavish costumes, evocative cinematography and meticulously composed frames. The confirmation that Love & War will play in IMAX places that established visual approach within a large-format theatrical presentation.

The first poster itself leans into carefully arranged visual elements: the blue vintage convertible, Kapoor's styling, the title printed across the car door and the blood on his arm. Together, those details introduce the film without disclosing more of its story.

With the first look now released, the confirmed details centre on a 21 January 2027 worldwide opening, an IMAX presentation and versions in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The film also brings Bhansali back to the Republic Day-week release period and to IMAX for the first time since Padmaavat in 2018.

Frequently asked questions

When is Love & War releasing?

Love & War will release worldwide on 21 January 2027. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film is scheduled for the Republic Day week and will be released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The first-look poster unveiled on 24 September 2026 also confirmed that audiences will be able to experience the film in IMAX.

Is Love & War releasing in IMAX?

Yes. The first-look poster includes the words “Experience in IMAX” in its bottom-right branding, confirming an IMAX release. Love & War marks Sanjay Leela Bhansali's return to the format nine years after Padmaavat, which was released in IMAX 3D in 2018 and did strong business in the format.

Who stars in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War?

Love & War stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has written and directed the film. The first-look poster focuses on Kapoor, showing him driving a blue vintage convertible while wearing sunglasses and a moustache, with blood visible across his arm.

What does the Love & War first-look poster show?

The first-look poster shows Ranbir Kapoor driving a stylish blue vintage convertible, wearing sunglasses and a moustache. His arm is smeared with blood, suggesting an intense and possibly violent conflict beneath the film's romance and grandeur. The title appears across the car door, with the 21 January 2027 release date at the bottom.