By Abhi Parasher
Rani Mukerji shines in Ashima Chibber’s heartbreaking yet inspiring Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.
“When I heard the story, it just wouldn’t leave me. I knew I had to put my voice to it,” says Ashima Chibber, the director of Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.
The film is an adaptation of the real-life story of Sagarika Chakraborty, who fought countless court cases in order to get custody of her children after Norwegian authorities deemed her unfit to be a mother.
Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway doesn’t shy away from the complexity or tragedy of Chakraborty’s story. “It is the story of a brave mother who fought this battle in a foreign country and then back in her own country and yet never giving up,” says lead actress Rani Mukerji.
Mukerji plays Debika Chatterjee (renamed) in the film and delivers a performance that many are calling her best yet. “For me, the most important thing is the love I get from my audience. That is my award and that is my reward,” says Mukerji, best known for roles in Hindi films Ghulam, Saathiya, Chalte Chalte, Hum Tum and Hichki.
Speaking to the shaky ground that is real life adaptations, Chibber explains that “when you are working with a real story, real people, and especially real children, one has to tread very carefully. You must be true to the emotion of the story.”
As a result, Chibber’s interaction with Chakraborty was intricate and intimate. “I needed to know from Sagarika, firsthand, what it was like. What was the first night like without your children? When her children were taken away, Sagarika was still breastfeeding, and I wanted to know what that was like. I was in touch with her for a good one month. We sat down and went through each scene together.”
Mukerji was able to rely on her own foundation to play Mrs. Chatterjee. “For me, it was really easy to access that emotion because I channelled Debika’s character through my mother. There is nobody else I know more than my own mum,” she says.
Chakraborty’s experience was largely controlled by her environment and the shock that comes with relocating to a new country. “Indians living in India, when we talk about Indians living abroad, there is always an idea of how wonderful their lives must be,” says Mukerji. “When I first heard this story, I was shocked because I couldn’t believe an Indian family had to endure this trauma in a foreign country.”
First and foremost, Mrs Chatterjee. vs Norway is a film about motherhood, which is explored at its extremes. The film shows us a mother placed in tragic circumstances and what it takes for her to overcome them. What we are left with, is a reminder that a mother’s love runs stronger than any obstacle placed in its path.
With this in mind, Mukerji ends on a final note: “People need to go watch this film with their mothers.”
Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway is in cinemas now.
