Hitting theaters in both Los Angeles and New York on May 11th, Provoked is a hard-hitting drama based on the real-life story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a Punjabi woman living in England who set fire to her abusive husband, Deepak (Naveen Andrews).

The film starts off with a bang, which immediately captured my interest. Kiran (played by Aishwarya Rai) creeps into her husband’s room while he is sound asleep, and instead of crawling into bed and snuggling up with him, she douses him in gas and throws a lit candle onto the bed. Deepak immediately jumps up and runs down the stairs and out the front door onto the lawn, where he begins quivering and screaming in pain as he burns on the ground.

Police and paramedics arrive and quickly whisk off her severely burned husband. Kiran is found sitting in a state of shock, staring out into space and not speaking. She is taken into custody, where she is questioned. Kiran is still in a state of mental shock, and refuses to speak. All she wants is her children, and so when the police promise her that she will get to see them if she tells them what happened, she speaks. Of course Kiran isn’t released, and is tossed into prison while she awaits trial.

Kiran’s trial goes forth, and while her lawyer is sympathetic to her situation and to the horrible abuse that she endured, she admits that there is likely very little that she can do to stave off a conviction of murder. Kiran is ultimately found guilty and sentenced to a life in prison.

It is in prison,where for the first time, Kiran experiences freedom. While that might not make sense to you or I, to her, it is the first time in a very long time that she is able to think for herself, stand up for herself, and even choose her own clothes. Deepak isn’t there to threaten her, or to beat her. He’s not there to criticize her.

While in prison, Kiran finds support from her cellmate and an Asian organization. Together, these two help her to file an appeal and gain media attention by organizing rallies and getting public support.

Kiran is eventually freed, after having served already more than 3 years in jail. In a landmark decision, Kiran’s case redefines the word “provocation” in terms of British law in the case of battered women.

It’s a captivating tale, and one that is sure to draw you in. Both Aishwarya Rai and Naveen Andrews play their parts exceptionally well, and the supporting cast melds perfectly to portray this true story of abuse, love, friendship, and the fight for justice.

And while Kiranjit Ahluwalia first shown the spotlight on the kind of abusive relationships that many Indian women suffered through, the film Provoked (directed by Jag Mundhra and written by Carl Austin and Rahila Gupta) brings their plight and fight to an even larger global audience.

Catch this film May 11th in NY and LA, and nationwide May 18th. Rated PG-13.

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