Pankaj Kapoor's directorial debut "Mausam" is described as a true romantic film in which he has teamed up with his actor son Shahid and Sonam Kapoor to recreate a bygone era through the movie, releasing Friday.

Co-produced by Sunil Lulla and Sheetal Vinod, the film is about two lovers: Punjabi boy Harry (Shahid), who goes on to become an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and Kashmiri refuge Ayaat (Sonam). But they are forced to separate due to political hostilities and religious conflicts.

After being separated for a decade, they meet again and through their journey, the director shows how love transcends from one season to another.

In the first season, the film is about the adolescent attraction that brings teenagers Harry and Ayaat together in a small village in Punjab. The next phase is about young love as both of them are grown-ups and their love realises its depth but at the same time destiny separates them.

In the third and fourth phases, both Harry, who is now a fighter pilot, and Ayaat meet again and their love culminates into togetherness, although they had to sacrifice a lot and it helps them in learning the truth about universal love.

Shot in Edinburgh, London, Mumbai, Gwalior and Agra, the film, as Sonam says, is an attempt to bring back the pure romance that is lost somewhere in Indian cinema. This is the first time Sonam and Shahid have been cast together.

It took Pankaj two years to complete the project and he says it was Shahid who instigated him to wield the megaphone. He admits his personal experiences have influenced the story of "Mausam".

The film's release was delayed for a week as the Indian Air Force held back its No Objection Certificate (NOC) as it wanted an aerial sequence to be corrected. They said until the producers made the changes, IAF would not grant the film an NOC and the censor board would not accept the movie for review.

However, the issues have been sorted out and the film is now set for release.