Worth: $16.00
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Cast:
Rani Mukerji, Anirban Bhattacharya, Jim Sarbh, Neena Gupta
Intro:
… touching, yet at times deeply infuriating …
A touching, yet at times deeply infuriating story of a mother separated from her kids due to a lack of cultural understanding.
The film is based on the autobiography of Sagarika Bhattacharya entitled The Journey of a Mother. After moving to Norway with her husband, Bhattacharya was separated from her children on the basis of ‘improper parenting’ after the family had been under observation.
Amongst the extensive and frequently inaccurate reasoning, Barnevernet (the Norwegian child protection service) cited ‘sleeping in the same bed’ as the children and feeding them with their hands, as grounds to separate the family. As these are traditional child rearing practices in India, the case became a diplomatic issue, with both Indian and Norwegian media outlets covering the court proceedings.
Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway follows (the renamed) Debika Chattarjee (Rani Mukerji) as she fights allegations of bad parenting and being mentally unstable. As evidence is gathered to support Mrs Chatterjee’s case, it becomes apparent that a fair trial may not be possible. Velfred (the fictional child protection service in the film) resorts to pressuring witnesses and misrepresenting facts in order to keep the children in foster care, which is later revealed to be of financial benefit to the organisation.
Once the Indian government gets involved, Velfred and the Norwegian government agree to a treaty, allowing the kids to return to India under the custodianship of the children’s uncle and grandparents, who themselves fall prey to financial incentives. The only condition given in the treaty is that the children do not have any interaction with their mother.
What ensues is a gripping and tension filled third act, where Mrs Chatterjee and her lawyer are faced with further pressure from the Norwegian government.
The director, Ashima Chibber, delivers a film that tugs at the heart strings. It is hard not to feel your heart drop and rise with the turbulent nature of the subject matter. The final court case culminates in a poignant speech from Mrs Chatterjee that speaks to the complexity of the film and the characters.
‘Am I a good mother? Am I a bad mother? I don’t know. But I am a mother, sir.’ This line perfectly encapsulates why Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway speaks to the audience on a human level. We are presented with a protagonist who is flawed and accepts it. The audience is not lied to with a romantic portrayal of a perfect mother who is hard done by. Rather, we are given an imperfect mother who is trying her absolute best, despite being hard done by.
The film often portrays unbearably tragic events, which allows the central performance by Rani Mukerji (Mardaani) to shine. She is supported by a cast of distinctive characterisations from Anirban Bhattacharya and Jim Sarbh, who both play a defining role in Mrs Chatterjee’s journey, occasionally toeing the line between pillars of support and infuriating barriers.
A poignant soundtrack with music from Amit Trivedi and lyrics by Kausar Munir, reinforces the affecting drama. Interwoven throughout, the music at times provides contrast to joyful flashbacks, while at other points is used as a conveyer of the determination and motherly love with which Mrs Chatterjee fights for her children.
Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway may be a triggering film for some. Whether it is the abuse of the foster care system or the lack of understanding of cultural idiosyncrasies, the film traverses many issues that evoke feelings of anger while simultaneously eliciting feelings of hope and admiration in the unbreakable spirit of a mother.
