After watching 'Videsh', we got reminded of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's 'Provoked', though only to a certain extent. As far as the aspect of domestic violence is concerned, the two movies are quite comparable, but the similarity ends there only. The twist in the tale, in 'Videsh', comes in the form of the injection of a folktale; more precisely Girish Karnad's play Naag Mandala. As Deepa Mehta injects myth into the movie, 'Videsh' starts becoming less and less convincing and you fail to relate to it.

Though the plot of 'Videsh' was expected to be unconventional, the 'cobra' aspect made it implausible. You can easily relate to the domestic abuse that Chand (Preity Zinta) receives from her husband and in-laws. In fact, many-a-times, it touches deep inside your soul. However, the 'sheshnaag' part is difficult to digest. There are some other flaws in the movie as well; say the reason for the abuse has not been put across convincingly. Technically speaking, we wish that the cinematography was not so dark.

 

All said and done, 'Videsh' is a movie you watch for Preity ZInta. She has given an exceptionally brilliant, award-winning performance in the movie, enacting the pain and helplessness of an abused woman perfectly. The newcomer Vansh Bhardwaj is very impressive and plays his part with precision. Balinder Johal is effective as the vicious mother-in-law. Even the actress who played the part of Chand's sister-in-law was convincing. If you are looking for good performances, and can ignore the bit absurdity in its story, you can spend money on 'Videsh'.