Towards the end of my college days, Jag Mohan Mundhra was a familar name: a "Hollywood" director of Indian origin, who ran an assembly line to produce B-grade "erotic thrillers". It did surprise me, when I learned that he was a graduate from one of the IITs (Indian Institute of Technology), the lab for India's restless technology talent.
Today, on the same day when Michael Moore's "Sicko" was being premiered at Cannes, I watched another Jag Mohan Mundhra movie: "Provoked", featuring former Miss Universe and Indian actress Aiswarya Rai and Naveen Andrews, a favourite of Non Resident Indian directors. Looking at "Provoked" and the his 20-odd old films, I wonder if Mundhra was perfecting his art of cinema by making those erotic teasers. This one is superb. A very elegant film with an extremely sensitive and unpretentious narrative.
"Provoked" is the real-life story of an Indian Punjabi woman, Kiranjith Ahluwalia, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the UK for burning her husband to death. Setting her husband on fire was a desperate attempt for her to escape from an extremely abusive marriage of 10 years.
Though she was sentenced for life, subsequent appeal, made possible by a women's rights group in the UK and intense public support,led to her freedom in about three years. In the early in 1990s, when she was freed from jail, Kiranjit acquired the status of a celebrity and a mascot for women's rights. She subsequently published her memoirs titled "Provoked", which the film is based on.
The film is well-scripted and superbly executed. Excellent performances, including by the extras, clean visuals, interpretative camera angles and straightforward narrative style makes it a perfect study for a good film. From a grammatical point of view, photography, situations and the excellent use of voice overs and voice overlaps in editing stand out, even while retaining a sober air.
This film is a tribute to millions of women who suffer in silence and who are conveniently overlooked by the majority and systems that are meant to protect them. It is a mirror held to ourselves. It raises questions about the dispempowering role of "culture" that pushes women in our parts of the world into vicious cyles of violence. It also makes a point on the lax and slipshod ways of justice delivery mechanisms in the West when it concerns people of colour.
It is one of the memorable movies I have seen this year. Without demoagogues or academic pretentions, it makes an extremely powerful impact on gender equality and women's empowerment. For instance, the protagonist tells her lawyer, who cautions her that she might end up in the prison for life: "For the first time I feel safe." It is also in the jail, that Kiranjeet learns about life and empowers herself with the help of her cellmate and other jailmates. Mundhra doesn't amplify these points, but states them convincingly. And that also makes the strapline of the movie really meaningful: "In prison, she found her freedom."
I would highly recommend that this film may be used as an advocacy tool on gender equality. I would also highly recommend this film to the lovers of good cinema.
One more reason to back this film is the performance by Aiswarya Rai. Desite her designer jail clothes (crumbled Linen by Indian designer Neeta Lulla is too much for jail costume)and signs of cosmetic lavishness that is not consistent with her jail conditions, Aiswarya Rai has delivered a impressive performance. The manic appearance of Naveen Andrews makes him a natural fit in the role of an abusive, alcoholic Indian husband.
You can read the news report on the real Kiranjith here. You may also like to take a look at the campaign by the women's group, Southhall Black Sisters, that freed Kiranjith.
