Sep 28, 2026 10:00am IST
‘Love & War’ Box Office: This Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt-Vicky Kaushal starrer Could Give Sanjay Leela Bhansali His Career’s Biggest Opening
Following a five-year hiatus, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is set to make a cinematic comeback with his highly anticipated romantic action epic, “Love & War.” The film boasts of a powerhouse trio: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal. With the makers recently unveiling the striking first-look posters for all three protagonists, fan anticipation and box-office buzz have reached fever pitch.
While Bhansali’s films are known for scale, aesthetic, visually appealing frames backed by big budgets, they have never taken a bumper opening at the box-office. “Love & War” is poised to change that. According to trade pundits, the film will not only be the director’s highest first-day grosser, but it could also become one of the biggest openers in Hindi cinema.
So far, “Padmaavat” holds the record as Bhansali’s biggest opener. The epic had raked in ₹19 crore on its first day (₹24 crore including paid previews). According to industry experts, “Love & War” can easily surpass that by a huge margin. Vishek Chauhan, the CEO at Roopbani Cinema in Bihar, notes, “The last film SLB made (‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’) released in 2022. Since then, a lot has changed, and ticket prices have gone through the roof. Also the star cast in question has delivered huge hits with other films. While mentioning that his biggest opening film is “Padmaavat,” he predicts, “‘Love & War’, if not double of that, definitely should take a ₹30 crore opening at least. It can definitely go higher if the music is good and if it connects well.”
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Chauhan adds that SLB’s films are usually not designed for taking big openings, but they enjoy long theatrical runs. He also dubs “Love & War” as unlike SLB’s previous films, praising RK’s massy look. “This film is looking much different from what Bhansali has made in recent years. He is an indulgent filmmaker whose films take a slow start, but they have great legs. That's how his films have always performed. They've had a very long run in terms of getting the audiences in. His films are not designed to open well. But with this film, that will change. The first look of Ranbir is a commercial poster that’s unlike anything that SLB has ever made. An alpha male driving a car with hands bleeding, gives a gangster vibe. So, this film is poised to open very well. The star cast is excellent in today's context. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one of the few rare talents that this country has who have had a fantastic track record and immense following and respect among the theatrical audience. So, the combination of everything should definitely take it past the ₹30 crore mark and give SLB his biggest opening easily,” concludes Vishek.
Akkshay Rathie, director at Aashirwad Theaters Pvt Ltd and a prominent film exhibitor, also sets high expectations at the box office due to master storytelling from the filmmaker and star-studded casting. “Every Sanjay Leela Bhansali film that comes along has the potential to be his biggest because he is a filmmaker who dominates with his storytelling and is one of the finest cinematic storytellers that we have in the country.”
He compares the ensemble with his iconic film “Devdas” and adds, “With a cast as big and enviable as what he has right now, this casting is literally an equivalent of the coup that was pulled off by him in ‘Devdas’ with “Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai. With Ranbir, Alia and Vicky and a love story set against the backdrop of war, which, if told well, the film can find great resonance. And if it has been shot the way Sanjay Leela Bhansali usually does it, the sky is the limit.”
“Love & War” is expected to hit theatres on January 21, 2027.
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