The upcoming film Love & War, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal, has been generating significant anticipation. A recent behind-the-scenes revelation has added to the excitement. Senior actor Ashwin Kaushal, who portrays Ranbir Kapoor's father in the film, has shared how he landed the role.
Was Initially Considered for Another Role
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Ashwin Kaushal disclosed that his casting was not part of the original plan. He revealed that filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali initially called him for a different part. 'In February last year, Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to meet me. Their set was being put up in Film City. I went there and met him for the first time. He told me there were one or two sequences in the film — that was for another role. The next day, I got a call from his office saying that after observing me, he had something else in mind. That's when I was told I would be playing Ranbir Kapoor's father,' he said.
He's Extremely Grounded
Ashwin also spoke about his experience working with Ranbir Kapoor, praising the actor's humility despite his stardom. Calling it a full-circle moment, he referenced his admiration for Rishi Kapoor. 'Rishi Kapoor was my ideal, almost like a father figure to me. And now I got to play Ranbir's father — destiny works in strange ways,' he said. He added, 'Ranbir is extremely well-mannered. There's absolutely no attitude. He met me with so much warmth and even knew that I had worked with his father in Damini. He was very cooperative.'
Big Release Locked for 2027
Love & War is shaping up to be one of Bhansali's biggest films to date. The filmmaker recently locked January 21, 2027, as the release date, aligning it with the Republic Day weekend. The film is said to be mounted on a massive scale. Reports suggest that large-scale aerial action sequences and extensive VFX work are among the key reasons behind its prolonged production timeline, making it one of Bhansali's most ambitious ventures yet.
