Why Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War is a casting coup

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has managed a casting coup with Love and War by looping in real-life couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, along with Vicky Kaushal.

It was only a couple of days ago that we saw that now-viral picture of Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, and Katrina Kaif posing together from the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya – with Katrina maintaining a dignified distance from the trio. And now, we learn that Ranbir, Alia, and Vicky have signed a movie together. With Sanjay Leela Bhansali as the director no less. (Also Read: More pics of Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif together at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya surface online)

Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal come together for Love and War

Here's why we think their Christmas 2025 release, Love and War, is a casting coup:

Ranbir and Alia

Of course, casting an A-list real-life couple is always a casting coup. And it's not the first time Sanjay Leela Bhansali has ensured that. He previously cast Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai in his romantic drama Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), followed by Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela (2013) and Bajirao Mastani (2015).

While Love and War marks the second collaboration of Ranbir and Alia after Ayan Mukerji's supernatural saga Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva (2022), interestingly, it was on the sets of Sanjay's film Black (2005) that Ranbir and Alia met for the first time. Ranbir was an assistant director on the film, whereas Alia auditioned for the young version of the protagonist as a child actor.

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in Brahmastra.

Ranbir and Vicky

Ranbir and Vicky have previously collaborated famously in Rajkumar Hirani's blockbuster Sanju (2018). Vicky played Kamlesh, the best friend to the lead character of Sanjay Dutt, essayed by Ranbir. Not just professionally, there's also a personal angle to this casting. Ranbir's ex-girlfriend Katrina is married to Vicky. But if pictures from the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony are to go by, things aren't really awkward between the two.

Vicky Kaushal and Ranbir Kapoor in Sanju

Alia and Vicky

Not only Ranbir, but even his wife Alia Bhatt has co-starred with Vicky in a blockbuster, in the same year. They played husband and wife in Meghna Gulzar's espionage film Raazi (2018), where Alia essayed an Indian spy and Vicky portrayed a Pakistani soldier. Alia is also set to share the screen space with Katrina in Farhan Akhtar's road movie Jee Le Zaraa.

Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in Raazi

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