Sikhs Complain About New Film

[sikh supreme]

Sikhs Provoked by Ash film

By: Viral Bhayani

May 30, 2005

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DEFENSIVE: Director Jagmohan Mundhra

Director Jag Mundhra has incurred the wrath of Sikhs in the UK after claims that his crew behaved inappropriately in a gurudwara during a shooting schedule in London.

Mundhra’s film, Provoked, starring Aishwarya Rai, is based on the true story of a Punjabi girl named Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who was tricked into marrying a London-based man only to be physically abused.

Along with Rai, Provoked also stars Nandita Das, Miranda Richardson, Naveen Andrews and Jimmy Mistry. Mundhra and his production team started shooting last week at Ramgharia gurudwara in London.

Aishwarya Rai was present during shooting at the Ramgharia gurudwara in London when the alleged incident occurred.

Worshippers claimed that some members of the crew walked around the holy place with their shoes on and heads uncovered, leading to complaints being made to local Sikh councillors.

But Mundhra has denied the claim and blamed worshippers instead for being disrespectful and clamouring for autographs from Rai and Naveen Andrews. He also claimed that some of them willingly queued up to act as extras.

Aishwarya, who plays Kiranjit Ahluwalia — the woman who burned her husband to death in the UK after 10 years of violent abuse — was also present in the gurudwara at the time.

The cast

1. Aishwarya Rai was approached when she was shooting in London for Mistress of Spices. This is the first time that Aishwarya will play a real-life character.

2. Naveen Andrews will play the husband.

(Rai and Andrews both starred in Bride and Prejudice.)

3. Nandita Das will play an activist working for the Southall Black Sisters.

4. British actor Robbie Coltrane will play Rai’s barrister.

5. Miranda Richardson will play a prison inmate.

Who is Kiranjit Ahluwalia?

Kiranjit Ahluwalia

Kiranjit Ahluwalia left India to marry her husband in London.

After facing domestic abuse for years, she eventually retaliated by dousing him in petrol and setting him alight.

Kiranjit was convicted of murder in 1989 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Her cause was taken up by a group called the Southall Black Sisters; the sentence was quashed in 1992, when the court accepted her plea of manslaughter on grounds of provocation.

The case made British legal history by changing the way such cases were interpreted by law.

Kiranjit received an award from Cherie Blair for her courage and co-wrote an autobiography, Circle of Light, with Rahila Gupta, on which a film by the same name is based.

http://web.mid-day.com/hitlist/2005/may/110488.htm

[sikh supreme]

The film aside I think it's disgusting how any human being whether a male or female can be given an award for killing their partner. If this, Kiranjit Ahluwalia, was in fear for her life and was battered for 10 years as she claim in her defence. Why did she kill him (deepak) in the most inhuman, cowardly and evil way by pouring petrol over him while he slept and setting him alight. Why couldnt she just run away or phone the police. And why did she attack him with a burning hot iron prior to killing him aswell as it's alleged.

Cherie Blair the wife of Prime Minister of Britian, presented kiranjit with the award back in 2003 and said "The Asian women honoured here...are true role models for the next generation"

Her a Role Model? God help us all if people like that are our role models.

[Pheena]

The film aside I think it's disgusting how any human being whether a male or female can be given an award for killing their partner. If this, Kiranjit Ahluwalia, was in fear for her life and was battered for 10 years as she claim in her defence. Why did she kill him (deepak) in the most inhuman, cowardly and evil way by pouring petrol over him while he slept and setting him alight. Why couldnt she just run away or phone the police. And why did she attack him with a burning hot iron prior to killing him aswell as it's alleged.

Cherie Blair the wife of Prime Minister of Britian, presented kiranjit with the award back in 2003 and said "The Asian women honoured here...are true role models for the next generation"

Her a Role Model? God help us all if people like that are our role models.

100379[/snapback]

Dont be so harsh on her...try steppin in her shoes, where you see no way out for 10 years you are taking mental and physical abuse. There are plenty of shoulve, could've after the fact, but when you are in the situation the circumstances are much different.

Punjabi women mainly in the low education areas have been programmed from childbirth to be submissive to thier husband no matter what he does, they are told to absorb with forgive and forget and this mentality of 'Pati Parmeshwar' is the cause of such cases. Obviously it took her long 10 years to break out of her programming.