'She locked herself in the room': SLB reveals Alia Bhatt's reaction to Inshallah being shelved

Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Leela Bhansali

A few years back, Alia Bhatt and Salman Khan were supposed to team up for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Inshallah, a highly anticipated movie that had fans eager to see them together on screen. However, the film was unexpectedly shelved, leaving fans disappointed. But it wasn't just the audience who was upset. Bhansali revealed that Alia Bhatt took the news hard and even locked herself in a room to deal with the disappointment.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Alia Bhatt's reaction to Inshallah's shelving

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Sanjay Leela Bhansali talked about the emotional impact Inshallah's cancellation had on Alia Bhatt. While discussing his process of working with actors and bringing out their true potential, the renowned director shared how Bhatt responded to the news of the project being called off. He shared, "She broke down, she cracked up, cried, raved, ranted, and locked herself in a room."

Just a week later, Bhansali had an important conversation with Alia Bhatt, offering her the lead role in his big project, Gangubai Kathiawadi. At first, Bhatt wasn't sure if she could handle such a complicated character. She told Bhansali, "From LA, where I was supposed to play the character in Inshallah, I suddenly found myself in Kamathipura. I didn't know if I could do it," But with Bhansali's direction, she gradually grew into the strong and determined role of Gangubai.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War's new release date

The release date of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial 'Love and War' has been changed. The film, which stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in the lead roles, will now be out in theatres on March 20, 2026, instead of Christmas 2025, as per Bhansali's team.

Love and War will be the first collaboration of Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Leela Bhansali after the actor's 2007 debut Saawariya. While Vicky Kaushal has never worked with the filmmaker, Alia Bhatt teamed up with Bhansali in the 2022 drama Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Trade expert Taran Adarsh also shared the update about the release change on X, writing, "RANBIR KAPOOR - ALIA BHATT - VICKY KAUSHAL: SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI FINALISES RELEASE DATE... 20 March 2026 is the release date of #SanjayLeelaBhansali's next film, titled #LoveAndWar... Stars #RanbirKapoor, #AliaBhatt and #VickyKaushal".

The film was officially announced in January 2024. The original announcement on Instagram read, "We Bring You Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Epic Saga 'Love & War.' See You At The Movies Christmas 2025." It came with the signatures of the lead trio, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal.

(With inputs from ANI)