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Based
on a real life incident in London, this hard hitting film focuses
on Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Aishwarya).
A battered
Punjabi housewife and mother of two children she is continuously
abused over a 10 year period by her alcoholic husband, Deepak (Naveen).
When
she finally takes revenge by setting him on fire, Kiranjit is charged
with first degree murder.
This
results in her life imprisonment.
She
befriends her cell mate, Veronica Scott (Miranda), from whom she
later learns English and effectively adapts to prison life.
Deeply
moved by her story, Veronica asks her stepbrother, Lord Edward Foster
(Robbie), a highly respected queen's counsel, to file her high court
appeal.
She
is also helped by some South Asian social workers who bring her
plight for freedom to the attention of the media.
Director
Jagmohan touchingly and effectively portrays Kiranjit's life as
a newly married Punjabi bride arriving to England.
And
through a series of flashbacks, her eventual physical and sexual
abuse by her cheating husband is also revealed.
The
severity of domestic violence is further enhanced by A. R Rehman's
moving musical score.
Aishwarya
in a deglamorised role gives an impressive performance by depicting
her ever changing circumstances through her expressive and emotive
eyes.
As
for Naveen, he impresses as the domineering and sadistic husband
whilst Miranda and Robbie are at their natural best!
On
the whole, Provoked is a hard hitting film which lingers in your
mind.
A film
which has already done very well at the UK box office due to it's
crossover content is well worth a watch.
Reviewed
by Manish Gajjar
91Èȱ¬
Bollywood Correspondent
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