Panaji, June 27 (IANS) Afghan film 'Osama', that tells the story of life under Taliban, Friday kicked off the four-day South Asian Film Festival (SAFF) here.

The 2003 award winning film is about a 12-year-old Afghan girl and her mother who lose their jobs when the Taliban close the hospital where they work. In the Taliban regime, women were forbidden to leave their houses without a 'legal male companion'.

The mother disguises her daughter as a boy, called Osama, and embarks on a terrifying and confusing journey as she fights to avoid the Taliban from discovering the truth.

Inspired by a true story, this was a feature film debut of director Siddiq Barmak. It is also the first film that was shot entirely in Afghanistan since the fall of Taliban.

'Afghanistan was forgotten by different people, different audiences, different countries. I really wanted to make this movie to remind people about Afghanistan,' Barmak was quoted as saying.

Also showcased will be director Tshering Penjore's Bhutanese film 'Golden Cup: The Legacy'. It is a musical fantasy and Penjore has written it as well. The narrative includes song and dance sequences, inspired by Bollywood musicals.

And Sayed Wahidullah Qathalie's short film 'Gulchaihrah', that raises issues of women's rights in the context of forced marriages.

Documentary section is dominated by Pakistan's Sharmeen Obaid's films - his three documentaries - 'Double Game' and 'Iraq-The Lost Generation' and 'A Journey Through Afghanistan' will be shown here.

Indian documentary filmmaker Iffat Fatima's 'Lanka - The Other Side of War and Peace' too will be showcased.

Other South Asian films to be screened during the festival include Bangladeshi director Tanvir Mokammel's 'Chitra Nodir Pare', 'Hansa Vilak' by Sri Lanka's Dharmasiri Bandaranayake and 'Khamosh Pani' by Pakistan's Sabiha Sumar.

Also, 'World Ka Centre' (Pakistan), 'Sacrifice' (Afghanistan), 'Dharinnattakai' (Maldives), 'Women Of The Holy Kingdom' (Pakistan), 'Hothat Dekha' (Bangladesh), Mille Soya (Sri Lanka, Boodee Keerthisena).

Bollywood director Madhur Bhandarkar's three films - 'Chandni Bar', 'Traffic Signal' and 'Corporate' will be screened here.

Other Indian films include Kunal Deshmukh's 'Jannat', Prakash Jha's 'Apaharan', Randhir Kapoor's 'Heena', Sudhir Mishra's 'Khoya Khoya Chand' and 'Mare Paryant Fashi', a film by Panaji Doordarshan station director Chandrakant Barve.

Pankuj Parashar's 'Benaras', Rajesh S. Jala's 'Floating Lamp of The Shadow Valley', 'Sakshi', which is called the first Goan Marathi film by Sandeep Kalangutkar, Rituporno Ghosh's 'Dosor' and Anjan Das' 'Saanjhbatir Roopkathara' are also in the list.

The festival will see the world premiere of Bangladesh director Razibul Hossain's 'Unadittya'. Apart from that the festival will screen 'Stranger' (Afghanistan), 'Matir Moina' (Bangladesh), 'Golden Cup' (Bhutan), 'Schools in the Crossfire' (Nepal), 'A Journey Through Afghanistan' (Pakistan), 'Khuda Kay Liye' (Pakistan), 'Travellers and Magicians' (Bhutan).

Viewers would also get to watch 'Ontorjatra', made by Bangladesh's Tareque & Catherine, 'Chandni' by Pakistan's Siraj-Ul-Haque, Sri Lankan film 'Veils Of Maya' by Boodee Keerthisena, Aghanistani film 'Akhtar The Joker' by Latif Ahmadi, 'Auction' by Bangladeshi director Zakir Hossain and Nepali film 'Kagbeni Bhushan Dahal'.

Entry for the festival is being offered on a first-come-first-served basis, and there is no entry fee, said organisers.