"Provoked: A True Story" is a 2006 British-Indian biographical drama film directed by Jag Mundhra and starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a woman who is imprisoned for killing her abusive husband. The film is based on the true story of Ahluwalia, who was inspired by the women's rights movement in Britain to fight for her freedom after being sentenced to life in prison.
The film follows Kiranjit as she navigates the challenges of being a victim of domestic abuse and the difficulties of seeking justice within the criminal justice system. It delves into the emotional and psychological toll of living in an abusive relationship, as well as the cultural and societal barriers that prevent many victims from seeking help or speaking out about their experiences.
One of the strengths of "Provoked" is its powerful and nuanced portrayal of Kiranjit's character. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan delivers a captivating and emotional performance as Kiranjit, capturing both the vulnerability and resilience of a woman who has been subjected to years of abuse. The film also does a good job of portraying the complex emotions and experiences of domestic abuse survivors, including the fear, shame, and guilt that often prevent them from seeking help.
In addition to its strong acting and emotional depth, "Provoked" is also noteworthy for its depiction of the women's rights movement in Britain and the role it played in Kiranjit's case. The film shows the power of grassroots activism and the importance of speaking out and fighting for justice, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Overall, "Provoked: A True Story" is a poignant and powerful film that shines a light on the devastating impact of domestic abuse and the resilience and strength of survivors. It is a must-see for anyone interested in issues of gender-based violence and women's rights, and it serves as a reminder of the importance of speaking out and fighting for justice.
Provoked Review 1.5/5
Was this a Bollywood story in English? All the while, the focus remains firmly fixed on the outcome: winning a verdict that reflects mercy and compassion for a defendant who is a victim of far worse crimes than the one she committed. As an action movie, this is not good. The keyboard music score sounds like a drunk four-year old picking keys at random. She is quick to discover that her fears have been confirmed when her initiation into abuse begins on her wedding night. One of the last lines in the movie, and I quote: "Ofcourse, there never was a retrial. After reading about the story of Kiranjeet one will be able to understand how well the film has been set up. That is the last thing the enterprise needed.
‎Provoked (1989) directed by Rick Pamplin • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd
It does not make any sense. It is high time Aishwarya Rai finds a soul-mate in some great filmmaker because she is talented and beautiful. Kiranjit would later be jailed for life for murder and then successfully appeal the decision and in doing so change English Criminal Law. Madhu Ambat's cinematography captures the mood of the film well. When her parents arrange for her to wed Deepak Ahluwalia, Kiranjit forfeits her plans for a college education and travels from her home in Punjab to live with her new husband in London. Near the end of the year Me Too hit the headlines, we have young women in NZ and Costa Rica who died because men wanted to have sex with them and wouldn't take no for an answer! Nothing too breakthrough, but she's as effective as can be.
It is such a movie. If you've seen her other English Languauge films this is a complete step up performance wise. Nothing that happens is remotely logical - to the point where I almost wanted to turn it off at times because the film is so dumb. It was quite a revelation for me, having only seen Aishwarya Rai as a martial arts wizard in "The Lost Legion", to see her submissive downtrodden performance in this film. The criminals are over-the-top, and the cops mostly stand around for the bulk of the film, occasionally falling for doughnut-based diversions. Police on the scene find his Punjabi wife Kiranjit Aishwarya Rai in a state of shock outside. In Dance with a Stranger 1985 , her breakthrough film, Richardson starred as Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the U.
When the legal defense efforts of barrister Mirriam Taylor fail to exonerate Kiranjit, she is sentenced to life in prison. On the whole, PROVOKED rests on a lackluster screenplay and that's its biggest flaw. Along one path, iIt's like Prison on Fire, where glimpses of the harsh realities of the world inside with criminals start to harden Kiranjit to fend for herself, along with the making of new friends and "sisters". Screenplay is flawed and forced. And so, for ten years, Kiranjit suffers in silence, mostly to save face and to protect her two sons, Rajid and Sandib.
On the back of the box, it claims that the action scenes invoke Sam Peckinpah. Through flashbacks, director Jag Mundhra reveals how Kiranjit grew up in the Punjab in India with hopes of attending college, but was forced into an arranged marriage with Deepak, a friend of the family. I must say I was pleasantly surprised how good both Ms. Stunning is the word that has often been used for this ethereal beauty, but for a change, you want to use this word for her performance in this film. Slickness of production can not replace the story or soul of a film. Unfortunately for them, the husband of a woman named Casey Kennedy Maranne is inside. It doesn't matter if you can act or not.
The they claim it's all true story of an Asian woman in Britain who set her husband on fire because he treated her badly. Most of the movie takes place in an unfurnished room in an office. Veteran director Jag Muhdhra seemed to have a bad outing trying to polish the film into the gem it should be, and certain scenes were badly edited that they seemed to be pasted side by side without much thought to gel them together smoothly. I would highly recommend the movie. It is true that the makers wanted to stick to the truth and do justice to the book I have not read it.
Provoked Movie Review {/5}: Critic Review of Provoked by Times of India
She is not female because she does a man's job? On the night of May 9, 1989, in London, England, Deepak Ahluwalia Naveen Andrews is severely burned in his bed while sleeping. Hence any sympathy for the cause of battered women has been tainted. Kiranjit's case soon attracts media attention. Captain Rader Jones III is called in to handle the situation. Her work in PROVOKED easily ranks amongst her best. The story had all the ingredients of becoming an earth shattering revolutionary drama. Deepak states that his wife set him on fire, and she does not deny it.
It fails, but points for trying. Why did she not leave her husband while all of the abuse was happening? The movie is based on a true story which was the first reason i saw this film. I can see the person is ignorant of how Indian women treat these kind of issues. This ought to silence the critics! As played by Aishwarya Rai, the green-eyed queen of Bollywood, Ahluwalia transforms a little too easily from tremulous victim to supremely confident defendant in a navy blue blazer. This story is about a woman who gets beat up by her husband, and kills him for that. A movie well done.
But the other woman is not a celebrity and not pretty with short hair. It is only in prison, inspired and assisted by the marvelous Miranda Richardson character, that Kiranjit learns English, human rights and to stand up for herself - who knew that a prison could be so inspiring as reform seems to have been abandoned long ago for simple containment? As in Mistress of Spice, those eyes can speak a thousand words with just a flicker, a movement, or a blink. They bring her plight to the attention of the media by organizing rallies to gather public support for her freedom. The movie looks like a low budget movie and the screenplay or the camera-work may not fascinate you. He is way too talented and looked like doing a favour to the makers by accepting the role.
