In the year 2006, Aishwarya Rai worked in a different kind of film ‘Provoked’, which later became an example in her career. This film was not like any romantic or masala film, but was a biographical drama based on a true incident. The story of the film is based on a woman named Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who allegedly killed her husband after enduring domestic violence. Aishwarya played this serious role in this film, in which she gave a strong performance, completely different from her glamorous image.
‘Provoked’ was directed by Jag Mundra and apart from Aishwarya Rai, it also included experienced actors like Naveen Andrews, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane. The music of the film was composed by AR Rahman, which made its emotional tone even more impressive. Although this film was not like traditional Hindi films with big budget or big actors, Aishwarya made such an impact with her acting in this role that many critics and audiences appreciated her.
Was not a hit at the box office
This was one of the few films in his career in which he went away from his glamor and played an intense and emotional character. But, ‘Provoked’ could not achieve the kind of success at the box office that is usually expected from Bollywood films. The film’s performance was very weak upon its release in India. According to the information, the budget of the film was around Rs 12 crore, but its earning in India itself was around Rs 2.41 crore, that is, the film did not even recover its budget.
The film was in English language
Due to this, ‘Provoked’ proved to be a flop film at the box office. The initial earnings of the film were also very low and it got only a limited number of screens in India. The audience did not pay much attention and most of the Bollywood lovers were attracted towards the masala films of that time. Apart from this, the film was completely in English language, which made it a bit difficult for the Indian cinema audience to connect with it.
Aishwarya was greatly appreciated
Nevertheless, ‘Provoked’ gave Aishwarya Rai respect in acting. Many saw her acting as a deep, sensitive and bold role, which proved her versatility. This film is still discussed on social media and film discussion forums, especially because of Aishwarya’s role in which she strongly presented the issues of domestic abuse and humanity on screen.
story of social issues
This film was a unique initiative in Aishwarya’s career, in which she chose to move away from glamor and be a part of a story based on social issues. This role reminded the audience that she is not just an actress with a pretty face, but a serious and talented artist. Although ‘Provoked’ performed average at the box office, Aishwarya’s acting made this film one of the important projects of her career.
