The first trailer for Rani Mukerji's movie, Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, dropped earlier today and it depicts the agony and anguish of Mrs. Chatterjee as she fights to regain custody of her children and must establish her competence in court, despite accusations that she is "unstable."
Is Mrs Chatterjee vs. Norway a true story?
Yes, Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway is the movie adaptation of a true story about a custody dispute involving Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, an Indian couple, and the Norwegian child welfare agency, Barnevernet.
Over a decade ago, the world was captivated by the contentious legal battle between the Indian couple and the government of Norway over the custody of their two children. In 2011, Barnevarne took away Anurup and Sagarika's children from them and placed them in foster care. The couple had fought tirelessly to be reunited with their children.
Story of Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya:
Anurup and Sagarika were deprived of their right to raise their young children, Avigyan who was three years old, and Aishwarya who was only one, in May 2011. The Norwegian authorities took issue with Sagarika feeding her daughter by hand, claiming that it amounted to force-feeding, resulting in the children being taken away from their parents.
Furthermore, the authorities also alleged that the couple's children did not have enough space to play and that the clothes and toys they provided were not appropriate. The Child Protective Service of Norway was also critical of the children sleeping in the same bed as their father, insisting that the son needed his own bed.
The Bhattacharya contended that being separated from their children was a breach of their parental rights and cultural values. They maintained that they were adhering to conventional Indian child-rearing practices, such as sharing a bed with their kids, which the Norwegian authorities misconstrued and deemed neglectful.
Following a diplomatic dispute between the two nations, Norwegian officials opted to grant custody of the children to their father's brother, allowing him to take them back to India.
Watch the trailer of Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway here:
Nevertheless, at that point, Anurup and Sagarika had already separated. Sagarika was required to seek legal recourse to obtain custody of her kids. Following a prolonged legal struggle, Sagarika was ultimately successful in bringing her children back home.
In January 2013, the Calcutta High Court awarded custody of Sagarika's son Abhigyan and daughter Aishwarya to her. The Rani Mukerji-starrer Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway is scheduled to release on March 17, almost 12 years since Sagarika's struggles began.