Sanjay Leela Bhansali is planning an immersive launch for his upcoming film Love & War, skipping the usual teaser format in favour of something different this August.

Rather than character posters or a conventional teaser, the filmmaker is crafting a special promotional asset that will act as audiences’ first introduction to the film.

The asset is being designed as an immersive experience meant to reflect the scale, mood and emotional essence of Love & War ahead of the broader marketing rollout.

Bhansali is personally overseeing every creative element of the launch, working closely with his trusted team.

The film brings together Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal for the first time in a single Bhansali production.

Set against a contemporary military backdrop, the story follows two Indian Armed Forces officers played by Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal, whose rivalry forms its core. A confirmed release date has yet to be locked in, having been reported differently at various points during production.

Anticipation for the project has grown given the strong box-office record of its three lead actors and Bhansali’s reputation for grand-scale cinema.

The unusual approach to the launch reflects Bhansali’s known style of personally overseeing every stage of a film’s presentation, from production design to marketing.

Bhansali was honoured with the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, in 2015, for a filmography that includes Devdas, Black, Padmaavat and Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Kapoor and Bhatt, a married couple off-screen, have featured together in films before, adding an extra layer of curiosity to their pairing under Bhansali.

Bhansali is known for personally supervising every stage of his films’ visual presentation, from production design to marketing, a hands-on approach reflected in the unconventional rollout planned for this project.

The pairing of Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in a single Bhansali film has already generated significant anticipation among audiences, given each actor’s individual box-office track record.

(Image: Photo: President’s Secretariat (GODL-India), Wikimedia Commons)

Alia Bhatt asked her fans to help Assam flood relief efforts in an Instagram Stories post on Wednesday.

“It happens every year and it still catches us off guard,” she wrote, describing the annual toll the monsoon takes on the state.

She continued, “Assam needs immediate relief right now, and it’ll need support for the long road to recovery,” underlining the scale of both urgent and long-term needs.

The death toll from the floods has crossed 60, and was later revised to 75 by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.

Roughly 4.45 lakh people across 631 villages have been affected, with families losing homes, farmland and livestock to the floodwaters.

Bhatt said she would use her platform in the coming days to point followers to relief organisations working on the ground, tagging posts with the hashtag #CircleOfHope.

She joins a list of Bollywood personalities responding to the crisis, including Salman Khan, whose Being Human foundation has begun a multi-phase relief effort providing food and essential supplies.

Bhumi Pednekar has also extended her support, while Ayushmann Khurrana and Tahira Kashyap have contributed to the Assam Chief Minister’s Flood Relief Fund.

Rescue and relief operations remain underway across the worst-hit parts of the state.

Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Nagaon are among the districts worst hit, with the Brahmaputra and its tributaries rising above danger levels after heavy rainfall, and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed ministers to coordinate the state’s relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The Assam floods have become an annual monsoon crisis in the state, with rivers including the Brahmaputra regularly breaching embankments and displacing large numbers of families across low-lying districts.

Bollywood celebrities have a long history of using their social media platforms to draw national attention to disaster relief efforts, often crediting on-ground organisations directly to help channel donations more effectively.

(Image: Photo: Prime Minister’s Office (GODL-India), Wikimedia Commons)

Pankaj Tripathi will receive the ‘Artist of Distinction’ honour at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026, in recognition of his work in Indian cinema.

It will be the first time the National Award-winning actor attends the festival in Melbourne, Australia, to collect the honour in person.

IFFM 2026 runs from August 13 to 23.

Rani Mukerji will also be honoured at the festival, receiving an Honorary Doctorate, with both actors headlining the event.

Tripathi’s career spans roles such as Sultan Qureshi in Gangs of Wasseypur, Kaleen Bhaiya in Mirzapur, a National Award-winning role in Mimi, and appearances in Newton, Stree, Masaan, OMG 2 and Main Atal Hoon.

(Image: Bollywood Hungama (CC BY 3.0))