This is the substantially true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a young Punjabi woman who came to London in the Eighties with her husband. After being abused by him for years, she killed him in his bed, setting it alight, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

On appeal she was represented by a well-known QC and got a retrial where, in a landmark ruling that redefined the word provocation in the case of battered women, she was cleared of murder, admitted manslaughter and was freed. She later received an award for her crusade against domestic violence.

Based on Circle of Light, the book she wrote with Rahila Gupta, the film looks a bit like a Bollywood movie made in London without songs and dances. This means a fairly basic screenplay and direction, by Jag Mundhra, that often badly needs a subtler approach, and some small-part acting that's hammy in the extreme.

Fortunately, a good cast was assembled to play the main roles, led by Indian superstar Aishwarya Rai as Ahluwalia who, though she hardly looks like an unsophisticated Punjabi wife, contributes a moving study of innocence unprotected by the law.

There is also Miranda Richardson as the well-connected woman she meets in prison who provides her with support, and Robbie Coltrane, excellent as the high-powered QC whose eloquence succeeded in changing the law. Naveen Andrews plays the abusive husband and Nandita Das the member of the Southall Black Sisters who brought Ahluwalia's plight to the attention of the media.

When these principals are on the screen, the screenplay seems better and the story lights up as it should. Otherwise, Provoked is a missed opportunity since it relapses into cliche more often than not. A pity, because this is an important story that should have been told more subtly.