Rani Mukerji in Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway. (courtesy: zeestudiosofficial)
Rani Mukerji's film Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway, which released in theatres earlier this month, became the unwilling center of controversy after Norwegian Ambassador to India, Hans Jacob Frydenlund, referred to the film as a "work of fiction" in his op-ed piece and claimed that it had "factual inaccuracies." The film, based on true incidents, showcases the story of an immigrant Indian mother, played by Rani Mukerji, whose life in Norway takes a drastic turn after her children are taken away the Norwegian foster care system. The mother decides to take a legal route to fight for her children. The film's lead actor Rani Mukerji addressed the claims made by Norwegian Ambassador and clarified during a recent interview with Hindustan Times that Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway is a cinematic representation of a "true story."
Contrary to the claims made by Hans Jacob Frydenlund, the film is a "true story" and "the intention of the film was very different from what was being projected in the opinion that was given," Rani Mukerji told Hindustan Times. She added, "Everybody is entitled to have their own opinion. This film was not really made to offend anybody. It was a story of a mother that needed to be told to and seen by a lot of people. People need to be aware of stories like this that are happening in the world."
Emphasising on the intention of the film, Rani Mukerji explained that the idea was not to villainise a nation but to portray the story of a mother. "The film clearly shows how it's never the main people who are doing it, but people who are taking advantage of a system. But everybody is touchy about their own country and will try to defend. But more than that, it's about watching the film and the story that actually happened," Rani Mukerji told Hindustan Times.
Directed by Ashima Chibber and produced by Zee Studios and Emmay Entertainment, Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway featured Rani Mukerji alongside Anirban Bhattacharya, Neena Gupta, Jim Sarbh and Tiina Tauraite.