Jagmohan Mundhra's 'Provoked' is a poignant heartwrenching true story of a London suburban housewife Kiranjeet Ahluwalia played by Aishwarya Rai who is a battered housewife at the hands of her psychotic husband Deepak Ahluwalia played by Naveen Andrews.

In a fit of fury she sets fire to her husband one night who later dies of burns and she is sentenced for life to a dreary prison.

She makes no efforts to prove her act as a "provocation" as she very touchingly proclaims she is "free" after 10 years of an unhappy marriage.

The prison life after some initial pains becomes rosy after other female inmates take her under their wing led by Miranda Richardson who teaches her to speak English and helps her to get a retrial with the help of her lawyer brother played by Robbie Coltrane.

A social service organization called Southall Sisters led by Nandita Das help Kiran in her cause and she is set free after a landmark judgement which changes the British law.

The film based on the autobiographical book "Circle of Fire" is a realistic insight into the dark realm of domestic violence.

The performances are good all round especially the cameos by Nandita Das and Robbie Coltrane.

Miranda Richardson as the supoortive jail inmate is superb.

Naveen Andrews is chillingly mean.

But the real star of the show is Aishwarya Rai in the best role of her career.

Jagmohan Mundhra betters his previous womencentric topical films like "Kamla" and "Bawandar".

An absolute must see.