Saw it in Hindi, in Nagpur, in a more-than-half-empty hall, at midnight.
The problem with Hindi-dubbed movies is that you’re automatically translating into English in your head when a dialogue is spoken, so when you can’t get an idiomatic translation immediately, your mind is occupied with wondering what it is, rather than what is happening on screen. But even that doesn’t excuse some of Provoked’s sins.
First, here’s a movie that deals with an event that led to a change in how the law viewed provocation. It was also an incident that highlighted the problem of domestic violence, and gave it a brief visibility in the media. But the movie ignores (well, a fragmented presentation in flashback is as bad as ignoring) the provocation and the violence. The first time we learn of the violence is through a sight of the bruises on Aishwarya’s beautiful back – even blue welts on pale skin. What does the movie show of its heroine? Pre-prison, she’s a pretty, fresh-faced girl. In prison, she turns from scared shadow to confident woman. But how did she become scared shadow in the first place? That is a transition we never see. Her husband hits her so hard he knocks her over, apologises, professes love, and the scene is cut. Again and again, the director seems to choose not to look at the sheer ugliness of domestic violence.
So what, one might say, it doesn’t have to be ugly, does it? The problem is that this means the movie is no longer about the domestic violence, or how it provoked a killing.
Fine, then, the movie is about her getting her life back together, after the killing. And most of the movie is. She comes to prison a battered, broken girl, and leaves it a strong, admirable woman. But how does that happen? She finds friendship (love?) with her cellmate, who protects her from the jail bully, holds her when she wakes up from nightmares, teaches her English, gets a QC to plead her case in appeal – turns her life around. But the jail scenes are all deeply discomfiting because of the stereotypes that permeate them. You can tell, even before it happens, what is going to happen. Like a Hindi movie, cliche after cliche rolls out. Surely the story was poignant enough, in itself, without having to resort to that!
It’s a pity, really, because the idea held so much promise. The cast was pretty decent, the dialogues might have been decent in English. But if ever a movie sucked for trying too hard, this is it.
I didn’t like the film one bit. It seems I’m not alone in my dislike. Southall Black Sisters – the group that drew attention to her cause also protests factual inaccuracies in the film.
Here’s the director’s lame defence:
“Even if you tell a true story, a true story is never really a true story. How do you define the truth?”.
Er.. Then wtf was all that @#$%@#% about R v. Ahluawalia?
Evidently he was trying to make an “engaging” story. I must admit, I found Aishwarya truly engaging. At all times I found her more hot than battered. No surprise since “Mr. Mundhra is frequently referred to as “soft-porn king”.
God knows there was enough soft-porn in this film. (Was I the only one who kept expecting Miranda Richardson and Aishwarya Rai to break into a long steamy sex scene?)
Ultimately, the “message” – if there was one – was “one must never batter Aishwarya Rai”. I agree. And that’s all the good this film did.
This sounds like a Sidney Sheldon Novel.. or was it some other author ? A naive lawyer girl fresh out of law school, gets jailed for something she didnt do..she is the scapegoat of a mafia don.. then she wants revenge, gets trained by her jailmate ( here only women though) comes out after few years, then starts earning money.. by the time she gets to really meet the man, she doesnt want revenge..did you read it ? If I can remember the name, I will tell you.
Any way, as some one said, there are only Seven stories in the world, all of them twisted again and again, to make the movies.. no new stories !
Oh, the story you’re talking about is Sidney Sheldon all right – though I don’t remember which one!
This movie’s supposed to be based on a true incident, no, that’s what gets my goat!
Hmm….go watch The Namesake instead, if you haven’t already. It respects its source material. It understands the extent of cinematic liberties. And it is profound- most of the really deep stuff is never really said- just a look here, a shrug there, an arched eyebrow and beautiful, random shots of calcutta and poverty and home.
And yup. It DOES make you want to call your parents after leaving the theatre.
Cinema. At its loveliest.
Ps- the golden rule still applies though- books are always better than movies.