Long before taking on glamourous avatars, Aishwarya Rai stepped into the shoes of a domestic abuse survivor who reached her breaking point, fighting back and teaching her abusive husband a lesson when the torment became too much to bear.
Not many remember this movie, which spiked Aishwarya Rai's career graph in no time. The movie, which completely changed the British law, is based on the real-life story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who unintentionally killed her abusive husband.
Provoked by Jag Mundhra
Provoked stars stars Aishwarya Rai, Naveen Andrews, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Nandita Das and Steve McFadden. The film's score and soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman and the theme song for the film, Alive, was composed by Rahman and sung by Karen David, who has a small cameo in the film.
What is the plot of Provoked?
Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Aishwarya Rai), a Punjabi woman, moves to Southall, UK, after an arranged marriage with Deepak Ahluwalia (Naveen Andrews). While he initially appears caring and affectionate, Deepak soon reveals his sociopathic side that shatters her world.
Kiranjit endures relentless physical brutality and repeated marital rapes for over a decade. Driven to a breaking point by the nonstop torture, she sets fire to her sleeping husband’s feet—unintentionally killing him.
Kiranjeet was charged with murder by the British police. She was later sentenced to life imprisonment. Behind bars, she forms an unlikely bond with her affluent white cellmate, Veronica Scott (Miranda Richardson). Veronica not only teaches Kiranjit English and protects her from prison bullies, but also resolves to fight for her freedom.
Veronica enlists her brother, Edward Foster (Robbie Coltrane), a highly respected Queen's Counsel, to spearhead Kiranjit's appeal. Meanwhile, an underfunded advocacy group called the Southall Black Sisters rallies the public and the media, bringing national attention to her tragic plight.
The collective effort results in a historic victory.
Where can you watch Provoked on OTT?
Aishwarya Rai's Provoked is streaming on Prime Video.