New Delhi: Just a few days ago, a widely shared photo captured Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, and Katrina Kaif at the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. The picture highlighted the respectful distance maintained by Katrina from the trio. Now, it’s revealed that Ranbir, Alia, and Vicky will co-star in a film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Their upcoming Christmas 2025 release, “Love and War,” is seen as a noteworthy casting move for various reasons. Firstly, having an A-list real-life couple like Ranbir and Alia always enhances the film’s appeal. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has previously orchestrated such casting brilliance, pairing Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai in “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” (1999), followed by Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in “Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela” (2013) and “Bajirao Mastani” (2015).
“Love and War” marks the second collaboration between Ranbir and Alia, the first being Ayan Mukerji’s supernatural saga Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva (2022). Interestingly, their first meeting took place on the sets of Sanjay’s film Black (2005). At that time, Ranbir worked as an assistant director, and Alia auditioned for the young version of the protagonist as a child actor.
Ranbir and Vicky have previously shared the screen in Rajkumar Hirani’s hit Sanju (2018). Vicky played Kamlesh, the best friend of the lead character portrayed by Ranbir, creating a noteworthy professional collaboration. Intriguingly, there’s a personal connection as well – Ranbir’s ex-girlfriend Katrina is now married to Vicky. Despite this, pictures from the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony suggest that things aren’t awkward between the two.
Adding to the connections, not just Ranbir, but also his wife Alia Bhatt has worked with Vicky in a blockbuster in the same year. They played a married couple in Meghna Gulzar’s espionage film Raazi (2018), where Alia portrayed an Indian spy, and Vicky played a Pakistani soldier. Furthermore, Alia is set to share the screen with Katrina in Farhan Akhtar’s upcoming road movie Jee Le Zaraa.