PROVOKED
UK/India, 2006, 113 minutes, Colour.
Aishwarya Rai, Miranda Richardson, Naveen Andrews, Ray Panthaki, Nandita Das, Robbie Coltrane, Raji James, Rebecca Pidgeon.
Directed by Jag Mundhra.
The Provoked is based on a true story. In 1989, a wife set fire to her husband and he died from severe burns. She was arrested, interrogated and sentenced for murder. This might not sound like a very different case from others. However, it was.
The first aspect was that the wife had been physically and mentally abused by her husband for ten years.
The second aspect was that the couple were of Indian origin. She was a reserved and modest young woman who was not accustomed to speak out against her husband, feeling shame because of her situation.
Her case was taken up by volunteer groups for abused women and it went again to the courts with the plea concerning her mental and emotional state and its cumulative effect when she finally attacked her husband. This was then recognised in British law as mitigating the responsibility for the act.
As is evident, this is a very important theme for the truth about abuse in marriage. However, Provoked has been made in England with an audience more used to Bollywood styles (and dramatising of emotions) than more reserved British styles. Many British reviewers dismissed the film because of this, failing to respect the different ways of presenting drama through different cultural sensibilities. (After all, Indian audiences may well be puzzled by the reserve shown by characters in British films.)
Sometimes, however, the casting and performances militate against the overall effectiveness of the film. A number of the supporting cast, especially in the court sequences and some of the prison stereotypes, inmates and guards, declaim their lines rather than act them – with Robbie Coltrane, by contrast, in a performance that shows how well it can be done.
Another difficulty is that the star is Aishwarya Rai (Bride and Prejudice and many films from Bombay). She was an acclaimed Miss World of 1994 and brings great beauty and glamour to her screen presence. She does seem too beautiful for the role, but she moves through it quietly, almost passively, until she finally learns to be self-assertive. Naveen Andrews (The English Patient, Lost) is convincing as her brutish husband.
In prison she meets up with another prisoner (Miranda Richardson) who has killed her husband and who is instrumental in changing her and bringing the case to an appeal. Rebecca Pidgeon plays the defence lawyer and there are several British Indian actors, Ravi James and Nandita Das, who bring an authentic feel to their roles as lawyer and volunteer social worker.
This is a case of special pleading, Indian style.
1.The impact of the film? Indian style? Bollywood touches? For an Indian audience? British audience? Indians living in Britain?
2.The film based on a true story, the facts, the court case, the appeals? The experience of the wife in prison, in the courts?
3.The importance of the case for British justice, the arrest of Kiranjit, her silence, the interrogation, the stance of the police chief, of the young constable? Her being charged? In prison, in court, her reluctance to give testimony? The effect of prison? The appeal, the legal repercussions? The intervention of Lord Foster, the speeches in court, the decision of the judges?
4.The structure of the film: the credits, the opening, the fire, Deepak and his injuries, treatment in hospital, his death? The questioning of his wife? Her passive state? Her concern about her children? The narrative of what happened to the wife, in the courts, in prison? Her memories, the insertion of the flashbacks?
5.The background of the marriage, arranged, the wife, Punjabi background, the family, her ambitions to study, going to London, her husband? The initial happiness? The passing of time, his brutal behaviour, his erratic moods, his taking up with other women, not providing enough money, his wife’s pregnancy, even pushing her down the stairs? How well did the film make an impact in terms of cumulative build-up of Deepak’s attitude? Their going to the hospital, the explanation of falls and accidents, his trying to make excuses, blaming his wife? The build-up after ten years? The final evening?
6.The character of Deepak, credible, Indian, the Indian in London, his style in England, arrogant? The arranged marriage, his expectations of his wife, the use of money, spending it on girlfriends? His treatment of his children? Lies, moods? His being set on fire – injuries, death? Did he deserve this?
7.Kiran in the interrogation, the young officer? Her silence? Her being charged, the trip to prison, the interrogation, the stripping and her modesty? The guards and their attitude? Her sharing with Ronnie? Ronnie standing up for her? The meals? Doreen and the others, the gangs in the prison? Girlfriends? Power groups? Ronnie and her defending Kiran, fighting, being put in solitary? Kiran and her life in the prison, her fears, becoming more self-assertive, gratitude to Ronnie, reading in the library? The visit of her defence lawyer, her having refused to testify in the court, her shame? The passing of time, the lack of appeal? The voluntary groups, Radha and her bringing the children to the prison? Kiran and her seeing her children? Trusting Radha? The possibilities for the appeal? Ronnie and her ringing her brother? His receiving Radha and Anil? The other members of the group? The build-up to the appeal. Lord Foster and the presentation of his reasons, the errors of the judge in law, the judges sitting, their giving a verdict, the taking into account of mental and emotional state, Kiran and her having served time and this being taken as penalty? Her being liberated – and the visualising of her being liberated by her change of hairstyle, clothes?
8.Ronnie, in prison, tough, the background of her crime, love for her daughter, her appeal turned down? Defending Kiran, fighting the group? Her ringing her brother? Supporting Ronnie, watching the final television program, an achievement?
9.The other inmates, the big tough woman, dominating, throwing her weight around, her girlfriend? People standing up to her, Ronnie fighting her? Eventually Kiran confronting her? Her respecting this – and her applause for the television program?
10.The other inmates, women’s prison, difficulties – the routines, the stereotypes? Ronnie and her three friends, their work, supporting Kiran, their stories? The sad stories of killing children, killing husbands?
11.The lawyers, the defence lawyer, Miriam, her attempts to make a case, her performance in the court, the prosecution putting her down, her failing to persuade Kiran to testify? Her being upbraided by Radha for not doing anything for the appeal, her explanations? Her presence in the court, gratitude for the achievement and Kiran’s release?
12.Lord Foster, the irony of Ronnie being his sister, her not wanting him to plead for her cause, her phone call, his receiving Radha and Anil, his presentations in the courtroom?
13.Deepak’s mother, her knowing the truth about her son, her refusing to testify in court, lying, her being subpoenaed (on pretence) by Radha? Her letting the children visit Kiran in prison?
14.The issue of the police, the initial interrogations? PC O’Connell?, on the scene? His knowing the true state – his being threatened by his superiors for his career, the later break-up of his marriage, present in the courtroom, his drinking, Radha and her approach, his going to the meeting, his testifying?
15.The group, Radha and her leadership, their not having any money, Anil and lawyer? Their meetings, taking up causes? Their interest in Kiran’s case, reading? Going to the prison, Radha and the trust, bringing the children? The demonstrations outside the court, the posters? In court, the achievement? The members of her group?
16.The background characters, in the hospital, the treatment of Deepak? In the courts, the guards? Judges and lawyers?
17.The Bollywood sensibility of the film? For an Indian audience, for Indians in Britain? For an English audience – to adapt to and understand the Indian sensibilities?
