Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Inshallah may return with Alia Bhatt, but who will be her hero?

Seven years after it was abruptly shelved, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Inshallah may be coming back. According to reports, the filmmaker and Alia Bhatt are in early discussions to revive the love story once Love & War, their second film together, is out.

Inshallah could return, but the story and hero may both change

The report says this won't be a straightforward restart of the film announced in 2019. The story is expected to be substantially reworked, with Sanjay and Alia reportedly discussing a reimagined take on the original love story.

The big question: who is the hero?

Casting is the most talked-about part of the report. A source told the tabloid that no casting gets locked on a Bhansali film until the script is final, so the male lead is still undecided. That leaves the field open. Inshallah was originally set to star Salman Khan opposite Alia, and earlier this year there was speculation that Shah Rukh Khan could step into the role. According to the latest report, neither is confirmed, and a younger actor could also be in the mix.

How it fell apart

Inshallah was announced in 2019 as an Eid 2020 release, with Salman and Alia in the leads. The film was shelved before shooting began, reportedly because of creative differences between Bhansali and Salman.

Sanjay turned to Gangubai Kathiawadi, which became one of the biggest successes of both his and Alia's careers. He has since said that Alia was devastated when Inshallah was called off. In a 2024 interview, he described her reacting with tears and anger and shutting herself in a room, before he called a week later to offer her Gangubai. Alia has never hidden her feelings about the project. She has called it a "brilliant story" and said she hopes it will be made someday.

For now, both are focused on Love & War, a romantic drama with Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. It reunites Bhansali with Ranbir after Saawariya, and the makers recently released character posters for all three leads. Bhansali has said he works on instinct, so there is no timeline for Inshallah yet.

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