INSTEP Magzine

Provoked is based on the autobiography of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, an Indian immigrant in Britain who was jailed in 1989 for burning alive her husband after suffering ten years of rape and abuse at his hands. The content, as well as the way it has been filmed, leaves one stunned at the magnitude of what is being portrayed. Provoked is thoroughly moving and as a movie of great substance, it must be watched by all.

Provoked is about a young Punjabi girl who moves to London after marrying a British-Punjabi man (who is her friend's brother-in-law's friend) whom she has never met before. Unfortunately, her dreams of a happily married life quickly disappear when she learns that her husband is actually a brutal man. Domestic violence, though a recurring theme in the news, comes to reel life in this power-packed movie.

The movie opens with Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Aishwarya Rai) setting fire to her sleeping husband, Deepak Ahluwalia (Naveen Andrews). When her husband dies as a result of his burns, Kiranjit is put on trial for murdering him. Throughout the movie the audience is shown flashbacks from which it becomes clear the sort of trauma Kiranjit has endured during the ten years of her marriage to Deepak. Kiranjit is sentenced to life in prison and ironically this is where she finds freedom.


During her time in jail, Kiranjit befriends her cellmate, Veronica Scott (Miranda Richardson) who becomes her confidante. Full points to Aishwarya for brilliantly portraying a battered woman. Though at times it seems Ash is too beautiful to suit the role of a woman who would endure ten years of domestic violence, her deep penetrating eyes and vulnerable air portray the spouse-burning victim as a woman scorned beyond endurance. We see Kiranjit strengthen, as a person, from her initial trial where she was meek and too scared to speak out, to eventually learning English and finally taking the decision to take a stand against domestic violence when she appears in court for her appeal.

The character of Radha Dalal (Nandita Das) was a bit lacking in its realistic portrayal of an activist, particularly one who holds the issue of domestic violence so close to her heart (her sister died as a result of domestic violence at the hands of a brutal husband). On the other hand Miranda Richardson skillfully portrays Veronica Scott as a strong woman that helps build Kiranjit's shattered self-confidence.

Despite the fact that Provoked overtook The Namesake by a landslide in the UK box office, and the fact that the movie features one of India's biggest stars, Aishwarya Rai, Provoked has bombed at the Indian box office. There are a number of reasons for this; the Indian masses want to watch entertaining movies that take them away from the reality of their lives, rather than watching those, which bring reality to the forefront. In addition to that, the subject, despite its prevalence, is still taboo in the
subcontinent; women would much rather endure the abuse than speak out about the "shameful" episode in their lives. Finally, add to that the fact that abusive men do not want to be told by others that they need to behave with their wives. Unfortunately, the very movie that attempts to break these taboos and societal restrictions isn't being welcomed by the masses. In order to achieve the purpose for which the movie was mage, audiences need to watch the movie with an open mind and learn from it. Provoked is a must watch for all, whether male or female! The sensitivity of the issue is dealt with brilliantly. It is a learning experience for everyone in our society, especially since domestic violence is a widespread issue here. In addition to that, Provoked also covers an event that overturned the British judicial system, redefining domestic violence to defend the people that suffer from it! Hats off to Ash and Kiranjit Ahluwalia for a tremendous effort regarding such a delicate and crucial issue. --Annie Yousuf YUCK WHATEVER GOOD SUPER ***AWESOME