Aishwarya Rai hasn't been having a particularly great time of late either at the box office or with the carping critics. But she has an absolute winner on her hands in the form of Jagmohan Mundhra's "Provoked". U.S. based Jagmohan Mundhra had been convinced that Aishwarya Rai is a talented, sensitive and instinctive actress and "Provoked" screened several times in the Cannes International Film Festival this year is clear proof of that.

Kiranjit Ahluwalia was tortured inhumanly by her husband. The trigger point for Kiranjit was reached when her husband attacked her with a hot iron but niether that nor the ten years of torture that she had suffered at his hands were taken into account when she was found guilty of pre-meditated murder and sentenced to life. Later Women's rights group working in the field of domestic violence helped reduce her charge to one of manslaughter and she was released.
Aishwarya Rai is starring in the role of the battered wife. The film "Provoked", being shot in London with Ash playing Kiranjit Ahluwalia, and Naveen Andrews playing Ash's husband in the film is directed by Jagmohan Mundra. This is the true life story of Kiranjit, whose provokation was brought about after years of torture by a sadistic husband, that finally drives the miserable wife to kill her husband, the touching struggle of an ordinary woman to break free from violence.