Months after teasing fans with news relating to his magnum opus, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is finally ready to kick off Love and War, his anticipated drama featuring a star-studded cast including Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal.

Come November 7, Film City’s Studio 5 will resemble the historic world that has come to be synonymous with Bhansali’s films. A source tells mid-day, “A crowd of 50 extras is required for the opening sequence. They will play sepoys [soldiers] in the scene. A lot of attention is being paid to each detail to ensure the period is appropriately reflected.”

While only Kapoor is expected to shoot the initial scenes, an insider adds that the filmmaker also plans to subsequently cut a teaser poster with all the stars. “Vicky will be joining the shoot next week, but Alia kicks off her sections only in December.”

Details relating to the film, rumoured to be an epic romance set against the backdrop of a war, are being kept under wraps, with only a few trusted individuals being given access to the set.