Ranbir Kapoor bloodied behind the wheel in first look at Bhansali's Love & War

Ranbir Kapoor is bloodied and behind the wheel in the first official picture from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War.

The still, detailed by Variety on Sept. 24, puts Kapoor in the driving seat of a vintage turquoise convertible. He wears sunglasses, a white short-sleeved knit shirt, slicked-back hair and a moustache. Blood runs from his shoulder to his wrist and spatters the car door. A gold-toned watch sits on his injured arm.

The image shows Kapoor carrying a bullet wound. A first look is the makers' opening reveal, the first approved picture released to introduce a character and set the tone. This one does it in a single frame. Wounded driver. Open road. No explanation.

The film is directed by Bhansali and stars Kapoor alongside Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. It will play in cinemas in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, a three-language release aimed at audiences across India and abroad. Marudhar Entertainment is handling the release.

It is a reunion with history. Bhansali launched Kapoor as a leading man in Saawariya in 2007. Love & War brings them back together 19 years later, director and actor, on a much larger canvas.

The date is set. Love & War opens in cinemas worldwide on Jan. 21, 2027. That replaces an earlier plan for Aug. 14, 2026, reported by Variety last October, a shift that moves the film into a new year and a new holiday corridor.

The build-up has changed too. A teaser had been expected around Sept. 28, but that plan is no longer possible, according to NDTV. The outlet reported on Sept. 7 that the first look would instead arrive alongside Kapoor's Ramayana. The production was reported to have wrapped filming in June ahead of the 2027 release, according to The Hollywood Reporter India. The story is listed on IMDb as centring on two strong-willed Army officers whose lives intertwine with a woman.

For fans, this means the wait now has a face. One still. One wounded driver. And a January date circled four months out.