Produced by Dr Lavlin Thadani’s Muskan Productions, these films deal with issues of gender discrimination, dowry, domestic violence, incest and even witch branding.

The film festival, which started on Tuesday, will end on March 8, International Women’s Day.

“These films were commissioned by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2006. We started work on them in October the same year and finished the 22 films in a period of 16 months. We worked day and night, and many times, in harsh weather conditions. Shot in rural areas, conditions as such were not comfortable. But the discomfort made it even more challenging. All credit goes to villagers, who were so supportive,” Thadani said.

A radio and TV artiste, teacher, social activist, journalist, actor and author, many of Thadani’s films are based on the works by Amrita Pritam, who Thadani says once regarded her as a soulmate.

The festival kicked off at Stein Auditorium with Dadi, Meri Saheli. The 27-minute film tackles the issue of gender discrimination. Two to three films will be screened on all days except the last. “That’s our day — Women’s Day — so we’ll have more films. Nine films will be screened on Saturday,” Thadani said. She said this was the first film festival at India Habitat Centre where films by only one female director were being showcased.