Provoked is a real life story of domestic violence that wreaks havoc in the life of Kiranjit Ahluwalia. The fact that it is based on a real life incident itself evokes sympathy as well as empathy. The audiences’ heart goes out to the battered protagonist Kiranjit who is physically and mentally tortured for ten long years by her husband. The film is based on the novel ‘Circle of Life’ but it is less gruesome in its depiction of the gory violent details enacted towards the protagonist. The script is a touching saga of pain, desperation and hope. The screenplay is good in certain parts, but unfortunately there are times where the screenplay could have been much better. The execution by Mundhra too is fare but it is the story and sincerity of the protagonist that makes the film worthwhile. Provoked is definitely a film that touches a chord and is above average.
The story has been conceptualized and directed by Jagmohan Mundhra and the film stars Aishwarya Rai as Kiranjit, Naveen Andrews as Deepak Ahluwalia, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Nandita Das etc. The music and background score has been done by A.R. Rahman and the screenplay has been done by Carl Austin and Rahila Gupta.
Kiranjit is a young nubile Punjabi girl who gets married to London based NRI Deepak Ahluwalia and settles with her husband in London. Unfortunately her life in London with him turns into a nightmare when he starts beating her up frequently. Kiranjit’s dreams are shattered when she learns that her husband is an alcoholic, womanizer and wife beater. She suffers at his hands being sexually assaulted, raped and brutalized for ten long years. She even has two sons with this inhuman man. However one fine day when her self preservation instinct kicks in she sets her husband on fire. Deepak is hospatalised but finally succumbs to his injuries and Kiranjit is charged with first degree murder.
The law does not even consider self defense as her motive and she is given a life sentence by the London judiciary. In jail she finally finds freedom to express herself and befriends the caring and friendly Veronica who is extremely touched by Kiran’s story. Veronica coaxes her step brother, a highly respected lawyer to take up Kiranjit’s case and file an appeal on her behalf. At the same time Kiranjit’s case comes to the notice of a women rights group, the Southall Black sisters. This women’s group organize several protest march on behalf of Kiranjit.
Finally Kiranjit’s case is re-opened and she finds a ray of hope for a better future with her sons. In a landmark case, the London judiciary terminates Kiranjit’s sentence after only three years of prison and the term ‘provocation’ too is redefined in the book of law. Kiranjit is freed and is reunited with her sons and her freedom gives women all over Britain who have been suffering domestic violence in silence a new ray of hope in their lives.
Mundhra’s story is not touching and emotional more so as it deals with a real life incident.But there are several scenes which make one reach out to the protagonist, the violent scenes manage to create repulse for the husband, Kiran’s fear of being alone in jail, her feeling of being free although in jail, the camaraderie between Ronnie and Kiran in jail etc all these scenes leave an indelible mark. The flashback mode too works in favour of the film creating a suspense like start where one wants to know the reason for Kiran setting her husband ablaze. There is no over the top drama and hysterics in the film in spite of such a sensitive issue. Jagmohan Mundhra makes the audience feel the torture, suffering and plight of the protagonist. His effort along with performances makes the film sincere. Director Jagmohan Mundhra makes you feel for the protagonist but at the same time he keeps the violence depicted in check but he fails several times too.
However there are certain flaws as the character of the husband has not been explored in depth, not enough has been depicted about his background. The husband is made to be a one dimensional character. Also the film could have been better edited as some of the proceedings make the film drag towards the end. Cinematography by Madhu is in keeping with the realistic story; music by A.R Rahman is also fine. Dialogues too are effective and create a somber mood.
Nonetheless it is not a touching real life story that works in Mundhra’s favour.But Aishwarya Rai’s performance that makes the film worth a watch. Aishwarya Rai as the victim of domestic violence is extremely convincing and delivers an excellent performance. Her innocence as the docile young wife is believable, her vulnerability touches the audience and her facial expressions evoke feelings of compassion and sympathy. Another performance that gives the film a superior quality is that of Miranda Richardson. She is brilliant as the kind, funny and compassionate friend. Naveen Andrews is average, Nandita Das too is okay and the rest o the cast is fair.
Provoked is a film that does not manage to touch the audiences heart, but a better screenplay would have taken the film a notch higher. Also it is a film that deals with women centric issues and hence it might only appeal to certain niche segment of audiences.