A new image from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming feature "Love & War" shows Ranbir Kapoor with a bullet wound, seated at the wheel of a vintage turquoise convertible.

Kapoor wears sunglasses and a white short-sleeved knit shirt, his hair slicked back above a mustache. Blood runs from his shoulder to his wrist and spatters the car door below. A gold-toned watch sits on the injured arm.

The film stars Kapoor alongside Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. It brings Kapoor back to Bhansali 19 years after the director launched him in "Saawariya." The announcement pitches the new role as a fresh screen persona for the actor, shaped by Bhansali, with Kapoor at the heart of what the filmmakers described as the director's biggest romantic undertaking to date.

Speculation about the three leads and how their characters relate to one another has trailed the project since it was unveiled. The first look leaves those questions open, including what Kapoor's character has lived through and where he stands in the film's love triangle.

"Love & War" will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, with Marudhar Entertainment handling the release. The film opens in cinemas worldwide on Jan. 21, 2027.

The project carries considerable commercial weight. Kapoor debuted as a leading man with Bhansali's romance "Saawariya" (2007), a Fyodor Dostoevsky adaptation. Bhatt headlined Bhansali's women empowerment saga "Gangubai Kathiawadi," which bowed at the 2022 Berlinale. Kapoor and Bhatt starred together in Disney's sci-fi mythological superhero film "Brahmastra Part One: Shiva" (2022).

Bhatt most recently headlined Yash Raj Films' spy universe thriller "Alpha." Kaushal delivered 2025's biggest Bollywood hit with the historical epic "Chhaava." Kapoor's last big-screen outing, "Animal," was one of 2023's top-grossing Indian films.

"Love & War" follows Bhansali's large-scale period dramas "Devdas," "Bajirao Mastani," "Padmaavat" and "Gangubai Kathiawadi," as well as his Netflix series "Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar." How the bloodied first look translates into the director's most ambitious romance yet will become clear when the film reaches theaters in January 2027.