FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

DesiBaba This movie was a very simplistic, black-or-white take on DV. I don't know the real story so my comments are based entirely on what was shown in the movie. In the movie Deepak is shown as a caring husband one moment and a violent abuser the next. No time or effort is spend in the movie to show the transformation from one to another. People don't act randomly that way. What was the root cause of change in Deepak? Generally when marriage break down to this extent it is usually due to both partners, rarely due to just one person. Also, do two wrongs make a right?? Why did she not leave her husband while all of the abuse was happening? Why not call cops after one incident (while he as sleeping drunk) or confess beating to the RN/Dr at the hospital? I mean shouldn't one attempt these before burning someone alive? Honestly, I cannot condone burning someone alive, no matter what, given that it was premeditated and caustic soda was added to the mix to "cook the meat". It is easy to sympathize with the character because she is played wonderfully by Ash, but I would sympathize with her if she acts with the ultra-vulnerable innocent puppy look like she does in the movie even if she kills the pope. Also, the Radha character was quite rude and annoying. All she did was shout out ridiculous and disgusting to Kiran's attorney and judge, like that will help their cause. She probably saw her brother-in-law in every abuser, justified or not. And the jailhouse bonding were all over dramatic. Melodrama should have no place in movie dealing with a delicate topic like this one. Other than Ash, this movie is not even worthy of one look...

sm_raga I think the writer of this review missed the point.Don't believe this was a male-bashing story at all, or one which says it's OK to oxidize your "better" half.One of the last lines in the movie, and I quote: "Ofcourse, there never was a retrial. The courts could never find a woman who had burnt her husband to death to be innocent. So on September 25th, 1992 - they reduced her sentence to manslaughter and accepted her 3 years 4 months that she'd spent in jail as the full term." I guess this summarizes my argument against this review. No, Kiranjeet was not innocent. She lost her reason after 10 years of rape, abuse- physical and emotional - and snapped one night.As to whether her action was "justified" - will again quote from the movie: "For a woman who suffered violence and abuse of the highest order for 10 long years and feared not only for her own life, but the life of her little children - I myself could not, would not presume to know what reasonable would be for such a woman".The real issue here is that some men need to learn to treat women with honor. Though I will grant there were some real cheesy moments of women-to-women bonding in the prison - don't know how much of that is real.I am a punjabi male and found this movie perfectly fine - there is no negative bias against men - unless of course, you're one of those men who think it's a good idea to iron your spouse just for the kicks. A movie well done.

Sherazade This ought to silence the critics! She gave you awe-inspiring performances in: Chokher Bali, Guru, Raincoat, Kandukondain Kandukondain, Devdas, Umrao Jaan, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam just to mention a few. But if you still had your doubts about Aishwarya Rai's versatility as an actress then go watch her bring down the house in the thought provoking weep-fest known as Provoked. Add another feather to the woman's hat, she truly is a powerhouse performer finally coming into her own. Please ignore all the naysayers who have been detracting about her accent in the film, her character learnt English from a British woman, how else do you expect her to speak? I mean, come on people!In a nutshell (most people who went to see this already knew the story) Provoked is the journey of an emotionally, psychologically and physically battered woman from the depths of despair to the glory and grace of emancipation. Rai plays Kiranjit Ahluwalia, the virginal Punjabi mail-order-bride brought to London to wed Deepak Ahluwalia(played intensely well by the up-to-par Naveen Andrews). She is quick to discover that her fears have been confirmed when her initiation into abuse begins on her wedding night. We discover (albeit in flashback) that Kiranjit was skeptical about marrying this man she neither knew nor loved but was coerced by a band of family and friends to tie the knot which she reluctantly did. It isn't long until Deepak begins cheating on her, insulting her, beating her, raping her and you just think of anything remotely and grotesquely inhumane and I'm sure Deepak Ahluwalia does it to his wife. Truly despicable!The film itself begins with that very headlining scene I'm sure everybody shuddered to even conceive of when they first heard about the Kiranjit saga. "Asian wife sets husband ablaze while he sleeps." The camera quivers as it leads a pair of hands bearing a bucket and a lit candle in either hand walking towards an isolated room in a dimly lit house. We do not see anything of Kiranjit until she does the deed and Deepak begins to howl in horror, running Helter-Skelter eventually ending up on the front lawn where a neighbour runs out to his aid. This was the beginning of the end. Kiranjit, in a state of shock then walks over to a neighbouring stoop, in a daze sits there cuddling her two sons as she waits for the police to arrive. Provoked is very psychological, when we first meet Kiranjit, she is a woman of very little words, so the audience has to do the extra work of reading meaning into her gestures, expressions and angst. Her face implores the camera, beckoning, daring even for you put yourself in her shoes. Personally, I started crying five minutes into Provoked, and didn't stop until the very last words were spoken by Kiranjit at the end of the film. It is such a movie. Nobody should have to go through such hell.That said, I know that the film-maker's perspective is very controversial. The case itself was very controversial. There are several nuances in the film, several things that are hinted at but not directly attacked or addressed. It definitely is pointing the finger but I'm not going to take sides. Which is why I've told many people who've asked me how the film was, that it's not for everyone. I can see how Punjabi people would be offended by many elements in the film, many aspects of it. I can see why a film like this wouldn't be #1 at the box-office. It's bawdy, it's brilliant, it's gritty, it's raw, it's realistic and most importantly it DOES NOT glamorize the story it is telling.A series of catastrophic events(stemming from corrupt police officials, lazy barristers, evil mother-in-law and shady witnesses just to mention a few) eventually land Kiranjit in jail and it is there, in this new kind of hell that she truly is liberated. Rai plays Kiranjit to the pulp delicately enough as not to batter her. In the beginning, she barely spoke a word of English, so much so that in the flashback scenes whenever her husband spoke to her in English, she would always revert to speaking Punjabi in response. But in jail, she meets Veronica Scott(Played by the spectacular Miranda Richardson), her cell mate who becomes one of the best-friends and sort of a guardian angel who helps her find herself and achieve so much as an independent woman. Nandita Das (plays Radha Dalal) a fireball twenty-something leader of the Black sisters radicals hellbent springing Kiranjit from jail. Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter's Hagrid) turns in a great performance as Kiranjit second barrister, Lord Edward Foster. Steve Mcfadden, Nicholas Irons and Raji James among others round out the stellar supporting cast. So many familiar faces! LOL.Provoked is rated "R" in its American theatrical release (for strong language, nudity, strong violence and thematic elements). I rate Provoked an A+

pistoncylinder Considering the section 498 of Indian Penal Code, a film like this is a very strong message to the Indian society that anyone can do anything and get away with it.It was a very disgusting piece of film making. Exaggeration at its best, no doubt about that. All it attempts to portray is that atrocities are being committed on women. It shows the system as too biased towards women and sends a very clear message that sympathy & tears can work wonders.My personal rating would have been -1 or 0, had there been an option.Not worth your time, money and effort.