Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor shoot nights for Love & War, film on track for March 2026 release

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt; (right) Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Rumours have been rife that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War may not be able to meet its March 2026 deadline and is eyeing a later release. Amid the speculation, sources from the set tell us that the current schedule with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt is progressing as expected. We've heard that the leads have been shooting nights at Joker Maidaan in Film City, Goregaon.

Bhansali, whose movies are as much about the mood as about storytelling, is capturing the love story's key emotional sequences in the ongoing stint. "Ranbir and Alia have been shooting from 6 pm until sunrise over the past few days. The actors have tackled some lengthy monologues. For Sanjay sir, every frame has to be almost poetic, and he wanted these scenes - given their heartbreaking quality - to play out against the dark of the night," reveals a source.

Although there is chatter that the romantic saga, also starring Vicky Kaushal, is delayed, insiders maintain that it is currently on schedule for March release. A production hand shares, "An elaborate action set-piece has to be shot. If that is filmed by August, the movie will be able to hit the theatres in March. Otherwise, it may be pushed to a mid-2026 release. Right now, we are on track." The night schedule is expected to be wrapped up by the weekend after which the unit will shoot indoor sequences.