PROVOKED: Film Review by SREENANDINI.V.R (II DC Zoology)

  Povoked-a true story is a movie inspired by a real life incident of domestic abuse suffered by a middle class indian woman at the hands of her english borne husband. The central characters are Kiranjit Ahulwalia poryrayed by Aishwarya Rai, Deepak Ahulwalia by Naveen Andrews and Veronica Scott by Miranda Richardson. The movie was directed by Jag Mundhra.

                                                                 The movie revolves around Kiranjit who was an innocent girl who had pinned her hopes on going to college but was forced into an arranged marriage with Deepak. She finds her husband loving and caring in the initial days of their marriage and she gives birth to two beautiful young children. She does full justice to her roles as a wife and a loving mother. But in the due course of their marriage she realizes the true colour of her husband.He was a male chauvinist who considered all women as subhuman. He tortures her mentally and physically and life becomes an unending torment for Kiranjit.
                                                                  After enduring ten years of constant abuse,unbearable brutality and repeated rapes at the hands of her husband, Kiranjit sets fire to his bed while he was asleep. Though her only intention was to hurt him, she ends up killing her husband.She is charged with the crime of murder and is sent to imprisonment.

                                                                 To her fortune she befriends an inmate in the cell, Veronica who helps her in learning english and to make an appeal too with the help of her brotherEdward who was an advocate. Ultimately she is freed  with the help of Edward at Southall Black sisters, an organisation run by South Asian social workers. The film coveys a moving story of an Indian woman suffering years of abuse only because she does not realize that she has the power to control her own life......
Aishwarya Rai carries the role with perfection. Her dark deep blu eyes strikes a cord with every audien as they radiates emotions like pain, shock, bewilderment etc. Though the direction has some flaws like no psychological ground for her husband to be abusive, the movie handled a sensitive subject of domestic violence and succeeded in conveying the message to the audience with a powerful impact. The cinematography was beautifully handled by Madhu Ambat and the background music score by oscar winning director A.R. Rahman added more feeling to the movie.
                                        
                                                   This film is a reminder to our society, especially for women asking to raise the powerful voice against domestic violence and understand the importance of self dignity. the film also throws light upon the great values of self-independence and EDUCATION...........................