Review of Provoked: A True Story (2007) by Jennifer M — 09 Mar 2011

A good movie to watch, though hard to watch at the same time. While society deals with spousal abuse (mental, physical, and sexual) all the time, sometimes we forget that if we don't do something to help, others will suffer the same fate.

Aishwarya Rai plays Kiran, a young married Indian woman (in an arranged marriage which is traditional for many Indian cultures even today) who wants nothing but to please her husband and family - again, this movie deals with different cultural aspects and traditions so you must keep an open mind if you're unfamiliar with Eastern cultures.

However, her husband's temper rises throughout the years of their marriage, with his blaming her for getting him upset when she confronts him about his cheating and affairs (and drinking later on).

After another night of abuse, she snaps and sets her husband on fire. After he dies from his injuries, she is sent to prison for murder. However, prison begins her struggle to freedom. After meeting Ronnie (Miranda Richardson), a mother herself who had a similar married life as Kiran, Kiran learns to find her voice and stand up for all those women who have come before her.

She is ultimately freed by the judicial system in a landmark case called "R v Ahluwalia", redefining provocation in cases of battered women in the UK. While there were liberties taken with this 'based on a true story' film (like many other 'true event films', the story stills holds a deep and true meaning that we must stand up for what is right.