Cast: Aishwarya Rai, Naveen Andrews, Miranda Richardson, Nandita Das,Robbie Coltrane, Steve McFadden, Raji James, Rebecca Pidgeon
Director: Jagmohan Mundhra
Writer: Carl Austin, Rahila Gupta
Genre: Drama
Length: 113 minutes
Movie Rating: ***
Aishwarya can act! Provoked may be the first movie where Aishwarya makes an effort to be not herself but the protagonist Kiranjit Ahluwalia. Here she shows very less of the “I am Aishwarya Attitude”, a trait which made all the roles in her movies, seem like her!
Provoked is based on a real life story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia ( Aishwarya) a battered London housewife from Punjab who after ten years of domestic violence and abuse gets provoked to kill her husband –( Naveen Andrews) and is charged with third degree murder. But this landmark case re-defined the word “Provocation” in the British judicial system and changed the verdict.
The narrative flows well with intermittent flashback sequences of domestic violence and abuse. The movie based on the novel ‘Circle of Light’ an autobiography of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, shows her saga of torture, fear, freedom (ironically in prison!) hope, self transformation, and real freedom!
Aishwarya surprises with her ability to act! Her delicate helpless look empathizes with the character of the movie. But Aishwarya can’t stop being Aishwarya and does show her fashionable attitude in the later part as the confident transformed Kiranjit! Nandita Das as the South Hall Black Sisters’ social activist portrays the dedication and zeal of the character suitably. She is little dramatic at times, but it demonstrates the characters zest. Naveen Andrews impeccably plays the brutal husband Deepak and makes you resent and hate his character. Miranda Richardson as the sweet and friendly fellow prison inmate who develops Kiranjits confidence and demeanor and finally aids in her final fight for freedom is excellent in her performance.
Jag Mohan Mundhra makes a good movie but it may be because of the story itself ! He overall doesn’t make a directorial impression or impact. Mundra’s choice of Aishwarya may have benefited the movie with a larger presence and popularity, but also his bollywoodization of the story softened the provocation!
Hopefully such incidence of domestic violence and brutality will come under check with more such awareness.
