The buzz around Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film, Love & War, continues to grow as new details about the cast emerge. Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal, the film has now welcomed senior actor Ashwin Kaushal into a key role. In a recent revelation, Ashwin shared the story of how he secured the part of Ranbir Kapoor’s father and his experience working with Ranbir himself.
During a recent interview, Ashwin Kaushal explained that his casting in the film was unexpected. Originally, he was being considered for a much smaller appearance. He recalled his first meeting with Bhansali saying, “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.”
For Ashwin, the role carries deep emotional significance. He expressed a long-standing admiration for Ranbir’s late father, Rishi Kapoor, making this casting feel like a stroke of fate. He said, “Rishi Kapoor was my idol, almost like a father figure to me. And now I got to play Ranbir’s father, destiny works in strange ways.”
Despite Ranbir’s stardom, Ashwin was impressed with his grounded nature and professionalism on set. He mentioned that Ranbir was aware of their shared history, as Ashwin had previously worked with Rishi Kapoor in the film Damini. He said, “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.”
Love & War is touted to be one of Bhansali’s most ambitious projects to date. The film is reportedly being mounted on a massive scale, featuring extensive VFX work and large-scale aerial action sequences. The makers have locked January 21, 2027, for the release, aiming for the Republic Day weekend.
Also Read: Ranbir Kapoor On His Distant Relationship With Father Rishi Kapoor & Bond With Raha
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