Alia Bhatt poses as a retro cabaret dancer in Bhansali’s Love and War first look. See here - The Indian Express

After Ranbir Kapoor, the first look of Alia Bhatt from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film Love and War, was released on Friday, September 25. The look shows Alia in a red outfit, and the setting will remind viewers of the retro cabaret songs that featured in movies back in the 1960s and 1970s. Alia’s red outfit shows her on a stage with many spotlights shining on top of her. She is also wearing a red feathered headdress in the photo.

Alia shared the picture on her social media with a caption that read, “Reunited 🌹.”

This is Alia’s second project with Sanjay Leela Bhansali after 2022’s Gangubai Kathiawadi. Alia played the lead role in the film that also got her first National Award as Best Actress.

On Thursday, the makers released the first look of Ranbir that showed him in a vintage sports car. He was at the driver’s seat in the first look with a bullet wound in his arm.

In Love & War, Alia stars alongside husband, actor Ranbir Kapoor, and actor Vicky Kaushal. Alia has previously worked with Vicky in Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi, which was one of the first films led by Alia that was commercially successful. That film was a breakout for Vicky as well.

Ranbir and Alia have previously collaborated on Ayan Mukerji’s 2022 film Brahmastra. The film was said to be a commercial success and ended on a cliffhanger as it was designed to be a trilogy. However, there has been no concrete conversation around the sequel so far. Ranbir and Alia started dating during the filming of Brahmastra and got married in April 2022. In November, they welcomed their first child, daughter Raha Kapoor.

In 2026, Alia has only had one release in theatres, YRF’s Alpha, which also starred Sharvari, Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor. The film tanked at the box office. Alia did not have any releases in 2025, and in 2024, she was only seen in Jigra, which also did not work at the box office. Her last hit at the theatres was in 2023 when she starred in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, alongside Ranveer Singh.

Love and War releases in theatres on January 21, 2027.