The screening of the much-awaited Aishwarya Rai starrer "Provoked" at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards function here turned out to be a dull affair. Apart from the Bollywood actor and her mother, Vrinda, very few stars turned up for the event.

The screening of the Jagmohan Mundhra-directed film was one of the major attractions of this year's IIFA function. Some big Bollywood names like Shabana Azmi and her husband and lyricist Javed Akhtar were spotted at the Grand Cineplex in Dubai on Wednesday to see the movie.

Set in London, "Provoked" is the traumatic story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Aishwarya) who is badly abused by her husband (Naveen Andrews). When she is unable to bear anymore the brutality of her alcoholic husband, she sets him on fire.

Charged with first-degree murder, Kiranjit is sentenced to life imprisonment where she meets Veronica Scott, a wealthy white woman. Her cellmate is so moved by her tragic story that she asks her stepbrother, a highly respected Queen's counsel, to file her appeal.

Over the past few years, the IIFA World Premiere platform has showcased the Oscar-nominated film "Lagaan", "Aankhen", "Yuva" and "Parineeta".