Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War is still months away from release, but the film has already become one of the hottest prizes in the trade. Box Office Worldwide has exclusively learned that a major distribution battle is now underway, with Dharma Productions, Zee Studios and Pen Marudhar among the top contenders vying to secure the theatrical rights to the filmmaker’s next big-screen spectacle.
What is fuelling that rush is the sheer weight of the package. Bhansali’s film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal, and the makers publicly locked its release with the announcement, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War 21st January 2027.” The date positions the film for a major holiday corridor, with the multilingual release planned in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Distribution Race Heats Up Around Love & War
According to information accessed by Box Office Worldwide, the negotiations are taking place in the Rs 300 crore range, a figure that underlines how aggressively the market is valuing the project even before its final pre-release push begins. For the trade, this is not merely a rights deal, it is a high-stakes bet on an event film that can command premium showcasing, national visibility and strong opening traction across circuits.
The three names in contention also make this particularly significant. Dharma Productions, Zee Studios and Pen Marudhar each bring different strengths to the table, whether in scale, market reach or exhibition relationships. Their interest signals that Love & War is being viewed as a premium theatrical asset, not just another star-led release. With Bhansali attached, the film comes with a distinct brand of grandeur that distributors know can cut through a crowded release landscape.
Why The Film Commands Such Attention
The valuation also reflects the confidence surrounding Bhansali’s command over mounted drama. Publicly, the filmmaker has already clarified that the project is not a reworking of an old classic, saying, “It is contemporary, it is different.” That line matters because it reinforces that Love & War is being sold as a fresh large-format cinematic experience anchored by one of Hindi cinema’s most trusted auteurs.
At a time when the theatrical market is increasingly selective, films that promise scale, star power and directorial identity are attracting the sharpest bidding. That is exactly what this contest around Love & War reveals. Long before the first ticket goes on sale, the Bhansali film is already being treated like a headline event, and the final distribution outcome will be watched just as closely as the film’s eventual box office opening.
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