Meet Sagarika Bhattacharya, who inspired Rani Mukherji's Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway

Rani Mukherji's Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway has been gaining praise ever since its trailer release. Based on true events, the trailer tells the story of an Indian mother, who fights with the government of Norway for the custody of her children. Rani packs a punch as a grieving mother who fights a nation to get back the custody of her children. Her character is inspired by Sagarika Bhattacharya, who broke down upon watching the powerful trailer.

Reacting to the trailer, Sagarika said, "It’s hard to put into words how it feels seeing my story being told. Watching the trailer, I felt like I was reliving my battle. I believe it is important for people to know this story and to see how immigrant mothers/parents are treated even today, as is evident from the tragic story in Germany. I’ve been in touch with Ariha Shah’s mother Dhara, whose little girl has been taken away. I implore you all to stand by her, just as I do. My support is unconditional, from one mother to another."

She further added, “I want to thank Rani Mukerji for channeling the grief and struggles that I went through to win back my children. She is a mother herself and I thank her for bringing a mother’s painful journey on screen with so much dignity that I broke down while seeing her in the trailer”.

The children of Sagarika Bhattacharya were taken away from her by the Norwegian Child Welfare Services citing habits that are commonplace in Indian society. What followed was an over-a-year-long tussle for custody of her children, during which Norwegian authorities even claimed that she was ‘mentally unfit’ to raise two children.

Rani has time and again impressed audiences with her performances. Now, she is back on the big screens in the role of a mother. Directed Ashima Chibber, she can be seen as a fierce woman fighting against an entire Norwegian government to reunite with her children. Produced by Zee Studios and Emmay Entertainment (Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani & Nikkhil Advani), Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway is slated to release in theatres on 17th March 2023.