Aishwarya Rai

The hype surrounding actress Aishwarya Rai weeks before her much-awaited wedding to Abhishek Bachchan has its advantages.

For US-based Indian filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra, it means more publicity for his latest film Provoked, starring Ash as the protagonist.

The harrowing tale of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a battered Punjabi housewife and mother of two who is beaten and raped by her alcoholic husband, Provoked will release just two weeks before the Abhishek-Ash marriage.

“The Aishwarya-Abhishek marriage on April 19 has definitely helped generate curiosity for my film. In that sense, yes, it will bring the audiences to the theatres to watch Aishwarya,” UNI quoted Mundhra as saying.

The filmmaker admitted that the curiosity level for the film is definitely higher with the wedding around the corner but added that ultimately it would be the film’s merit and its storyline that would determine its fate at the box office.

”Admittedly, one of my reasons for casting Aishwarya Rai in the film was to add a brand value to it which would bring audiences to the theatres to watch it. However, ultimately, it will be the film’s story and cinematic merit that will determine its success at the theatres,” Mundhra told UNI.