Actor Ranbir Kapoor recently confirmed that Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s highly-anticipated magnum opus ‘Love and War’ has been officially postponed. The actor revealed this during a Instagram live session on Sunday.
The film, which was originally slated for a March 2026 release, now has a delayed production timeline and Kapoor said the decision was taken to ensure that the project met Bhansali’s legendary standards for scale and visual detail. This confirmation puts an end to weeks of industry-wide speculation regarding the film’s status and its place in Ranbir’s increasingly crowded 2026 calendar.
Release timeline of ‘Love and War’
The primary reason for the delay appears to be a strategic decision to prioritize Ranbir’s other massive project, Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana: Part One’. Ranbir revealed that Ramayana is currently locked for a Diwali release in October 2026 and will hit theatres before ‘Love and War’. By pushing the Bhansali directorial to a later window — likely December 2026 or early 2027 — the makers are avoiding a situation where two of the actor’s biggest career films “cannibalize” each other at the box office.
Apart from the internal scheduling, the move also allows ‘Love and War’ to avoid an intense face-off in March 2026. That weekend was originally set for a four-way clash involving Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar 2’ and Yash’s ‘Toxic’. With ‘Love and War’ moving out of the way, the March window is now expected to be a direct head-to-head battle between the remaining films; giving Bhansali’s film a clearer runway during the winter festive season.
Creative direction of the film
Industry reports from sources like Hindustan Times and Pinkvilla suggest that the film’s technical complexity played a significant role in the postponement. Love and War is expected to have some really incredible aerial action scenes and a lot of detailed digital effects, which is why the team needs more time to finish everything after filming.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for being a perfectionist, and he doesn’t want to rush the editing or the VFX – especially for a project rumored to be an epic love triangle inspired by the 1964 classic Sangam.
Even with the delay, everything seems to be moving along well. People working on the film say that most of the main scenes have already been shot in Mumbai, including a big song and some intense moments between the lead actors. With Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal starring in it, it’s one of the most talked-about upcoming movies this decade. Fans might have to wait a bit longer, but it sounds like the goal is to make sure the final version looks exactly how Bhansali envisioned it.