Bollywood tells true story of the wife who fought back

Bollywood is to tell the true story of a west London Sikh housewife who killed her husband after suffering years of physical abuse at his hands.

Provoked, a collaboration between Bollywood and the British film industry, opens next month. It follows the life of Kiranjit Ahluwalia whose ordeal became the focus of a campaign for justice that changed the law, forcing the courts to recognise a new defence of provocation in cases of domestic homicide.

Supported by Britain's women's rights movement, the film has an international cast including the Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai and Miranda Richardson who in 1984 starred in a film about Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain.

Ms Ahluwalia, born in India, came to Britain in 1979 following an arranged marriage to her husband, Deepak. During their 10-year relationship he raped her many times, and beat her with belts, shoes and pieces of furniture. He was obsessed about having complete control over her life and forbade her from leaving the home to see friends and family. He also banned her from eating chillies or drinking black coffee.

Ms Ahluwalia, who tried to escape many times but was always caught, secretly started drinking to dull the pain. Eventually the point came when she could bear the abuse no longer and on 9 May 1989, she doused her husband in petrol and set fire to his bedclothes while he slept. Ten days later he died of his injuries in hospital and Ms Ahluwalia was charged with his murder.

When the case came to trial the prosecution alleged that the violence she had suffered was "not serious" and could not mitigate her actions. She was so ashamed about her family finding out about the allegations of sexual abuse that she decided not to give evidence in her own defence.

On 7 December 1989, Ms Ahluwalia was found guilty of murder and jailed for life.

While in prison she was contacted by a member of a women's group who wanted to know how she could endure imprisonment after all the years of abuse she had suffered. But Ms Ahluwalia replied that it was only since the killing that she had felt free.

Her case was taken up by the Southall Black Sisters, a women's rights group working in the field of domestic violence. After a successful appeal and a second trial the charge was reduced to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. Ms Ahluwalia was released because she had already served three years and four months. The court accepted the argument that the defence of provocation could be extended to cases where women use violence in response to a long period of abuse. Until then, the defence had been restricted to cases where retaliation had been in the "heat of the moment".

Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss World and often referred to as the reigning Queen of Bollywood, plays the part of Ms Ahluwalia. Other important roles in the film have gone to Richardson, whose character befriends Ms Ahluwalia in prison. Richardson played Ruth Ellis in the 1984 film Dance with a Stranger which follows the life of another woman who killed a man during a violent relationship. Robbie Coltrane plays the QC who takes up the legal fight on her behalf.

The film, funded by Bollywood and the British film industry, is being released by Eros International plc, a Bollywood and international film distributor.

Eros chairman, Kishore Lulla, said: "Eros is really pleased to be involved with Provoked and use the powerful medium of film to tell a true life story of an oppressed but brave woman who changed UK case law. Domestic violence is a serious social issue that transcends race, religion, nationality and colour. We welcome people to come and support the film, and support the emancipation of women all over the world."

Ms Ahluwalia today lives happily with her two children in Slough.