For Mukunda Ramaswami, Love Seasons is more than a debut. It is the fulfillment of a dream that began when a four-year-old boy sat in a theatre in Tirupati and was captivated by Telugu superstar Nagarjuna. "I was fascinated by his screen presence, his swag and the way he carried himself. He gave wings to my dream of becoming an actor," recalls Mukunda, adding, "From then on, I worked towards that goal."

Recognising his son's passion, Mukunda's father, NR Manjunath, backed his dream and has turned producer to launch him in director Kruthwik's Love Seasons, which releases on July 3. Given his admiration for mass entertainers, a romantic debut may seem like an unlikely choice. But Mukunda says the film's emotional depth mattered more than its genre. "It may look like a love story on the surface, but I wanted my first film to offer something fresh. I kept asking myself what I could bring to audiences that felt different," he says, adding that the search wasn't easy. "I listened to nearly 25 or 30 scripts before Love Seasons. None of them connected with me. What stood out in this film was its content and realistic approach. That's what convinced me."

According to Mukunda, romance is only one layer of the story. "Can a love story be content-driven? Maybe. But Love Seasons is really about life's journey. It's about relationships, values and emotions that everyone can relate to."

As the film heads to theatres, the newcomer has one request for audiences. "I want people to come in with an open mind. Don't judge a film because it has newcomers. Watch it for the story. If they connect with the emotions and the journey, that will be the biggest success for us."