Eminent filmmaker Aparna Sen has urged women directors to pursue their dreams and achieve their goals without succumbing to the challenges and obstacles in their path.

She said here on Sunday that she had faced several difficulties to launch herself as a director and her first film had become a reality because she got Shashi Kapoor as a producer.

The "Mr and Mrs Iyer" director also reminisced the support extended by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray and his family to make her film career dreams real.

Sen was talking to a group of women filmmakers during a screenplay writing workshop, organised by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) here.

The national award winning filmmaker also shared her experiences in her decades-long movie career to inspire upcoming directors.

Sen had debuted as a director with "36 Chowringhee Lane" in the year 1981.

The four-day workshop was organised as part of the process to find out women directors of films being produced by the KSFDC.

Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan inaugurated the workshop at a function here, at which Sen was the chief guest.

The presence of women behind the camera is comparatively less even now and the government's schemes would help to bring more women as technicians in films, the minister said.

Eminent filmmaker and KSFDC Chairman Shaji N Karun and Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran were among those who took part in the inaugural session.

Well-known screen writer Anjum Rajabali was leading the workshop, in which several noted film personalities would address sessions, an official statement said.

With an aim to support women filmmakers, the LDF government last year, had set aside funds in its budget for four films, two helmed by women directors and two by those belonging to the SC/ST community.

The movies would be produced by the KSFDC, it added.