Ashwin Kaushal Reveals He Was Initially Considered for Different Role in Ranbir Kapoor's Love & War

Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal-starrer Love & War has been steadily building buzz, and a new behind-the-scenes revelation has now added to the intrigue. Senior actor Ashwin Kaushal, who plays Ranbir Kapoor's father in the film, has shared how the role came his way.

'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,' he said.

Ashwin also spoke about his experience of working with Ranbir Kapoor, highlighting the actor's humility despite his stardom. Calling it a full-circle moment, he referenced his admiration for Rishi Kapoor. 'Rishi Kapoor was my ideal, almost like a father figure to me. And now I got to play Ranbir's father — destiny works in strange ways,' he said.

He added, '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.'

Meanwhile, Love & War is shaping up to be one of Bhansali's biggest films to date. The filmmaker recently locked January 21, 2027, as the release date, aligning it with the Republic Day weekend. The film is also said to be mounted on a massive scale. Reports suggest that large-scale aerial action sequences and extensive VFX work are among the key reasons behind its prolonged production timeline, making it one of Bhansali's most ambitious ventures yet.