Panaji, Nov 23 (IANS): Kannada movie 'Nanu Kusuma', showing the reality of how women are discriminated against despite stringent laws, has been screened here in the International Film Festival of India.

Director Krishnegowda, while interacting with the media during 'Table talk' programme on Tuesday said that 'Nanu Kusuma' mirrors the reality of our patriarchal society where injustice is meted out to women even after having stringent laws.

The film is based on a short story written by Kannada author Dr Besagarahalli Ramanna, who penned the book taking cues from a real life incident. "Women empowerment and women safety form the core of this film. My penchant is to make movies on subjects which could pass on a message to the society," Krishnegowda said.

Nanu Kusuma is the story of Kusuma, daughter of a loving and caring father who has high ambitions for his daughter. But fate has other plans and her father passes away in an accident, throwing her life into chaos. Kusuma, who aspired to become a doctor, drops out of medical school due to financial crisis. She gets her father's government job on compensatory grounds. But life for Kusuma takes a dramatic turn when she is sexually assaulted.

Sharing how daunting a task was portraying Kusuma, actor Greeshma Sridhar said the process had been disturbing and exhausting for continually being in that state of mind.

"It is the story of women who are constantly being pushed into corners and who finds themselves encircled by problems without doing any wrong," Greeshma Sridhar said.

She also said that it is heartbreaking to say that there was no dearth of material on this particular subject which made it all the more difficult to come to terms with.

The movie was screened under the Indian Panorama Feature Films section.