Is Ranbir-Alia-Vicky’s Love and War ‘re-working’ of Sangam? What Bhansali says

After his debut OTT series Heeramandi, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali will helm Love and War, starring Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. Now, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Bhansali dismissed rumours that the film is a ‘re-working of’ the 1964 film Sangam. Bhansali teased the audience about whether they wanted to hear the story of Love and War, adding that they would “have to wait for it.” (Also Read | ‘Alia Bhatt cried, raved, ranted, locked herself in a room when Inshallah got shelved’: Sanjay Leela Bhansali)
When told that a section of the people on the internet said the film is a ‘re-working of Raj Kapoor’s Sangam’, Bhansali said, “Not at all. I love Sangam, I have watched it. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is also like Sangam. I tried to make Aishwarya Rai into Vyjayanthimala from Sangam…It’s not Sangam at all, with all my love for Raj Kapoor. You never re-make a great man, a great director’s classic. How do you re-make Mughal-E-Azam or Sangam or Pakeezah. Heeramandi is a tribute to Pakeezah, it’s my love for Kamal Amrohi.” He also questioned why he would remake Sangam.
Talking about Love and War, Bhansali added, “It’s a film that I’m very very excited about. It’s a very very special film, now not in the period. There are no pillars, no costumes, no more horses. It’s contemporary, it’s different. The music is different, I’m enjoying doing it. I have got wonderful actors…It’s a difficult film for me, so I’ll take a little time to make it properly, carefully.”
Sangam (1964) is a romantic drama directed by Raj Kapoor. It stars Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, and Vyjayanthimala in lead roles. Iftekhar, Raj Mehra, Nana Palsikar, Lalita Pawar, Achala Sachdev, Hari Shivdasani were also part of the film. The story is of a pilot, Sundar (Raj), who, after being assumed dead, returns from war. He then marries Radha (Vyjayanthimala) he was in love with. However, he is unaware that she is planning to marry his best friend, Gopal (Rajendra Kumar).
Bhansali’s next film, Love and War, will be out in theatres on March 20, 2026. Love and War is expected to go on floors in the coming months.