Aishwarya Rai to promote her movie at Cannes festival

Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai plans to promote her latest movie "Provoked" at the Cannes film festival, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

Photo: Aishwarya Rai to promote her movie at Cannes festival

Rai, who plays the role of a battered wife in the drama, has become a Cannes regular in recent years. She has attended the festival every year since 2002 when her movie "Devdas," a remake of an Indian classic, was shown. She inaugurated last year's festival as a jury member.

"Coming to Cannes is a great high ... It's a beautiful city with great people and films," The Times of India newspaper quoted her as saying.

"I don't get to visit many (film) festivals, but Cannes is truly one event I do try to attend each year," she said.

"Provoked," directed by Jagmohan Mundra, will screen at the festival on Thursday.

She plays the role of Kiranjit, a woman who kills her husband after suffering torture at his hands for 10 years.

"I was immediately taken with the story and Kiranjit's character ... I realized the importance of the film, especially for women and the issue of domestic violence," she said.

Director Mundra said "Provoked" is a departure from Rai's usual boy-meets-girl movies.

Rai played a shop owner trained in herbal remedies in the newly released "Mistress of Spices." Largely shot in Oakland, California, the movie also stars American actor Dylan McDermott, known as crusading lawyer Bobby Donnell on ABC's "The Practice."

A former Miss World, Rai is a big star in India and has acted in more than 30 movies, reports the AP.

I.L.