While ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway’ is set to release on March 17 this year, the trailer has hit the screens today.
The film is based on a true story of an Indian couple's fight for custody of their children - an ordeal that started 11 years ago.
Anurup Bhattacharya and Sagarika, an Indian couple in Norway, had a son Abhigyan in 2008.
He began to show “autism-like” symptoms, such as banging his head on the ground whenever he was frustrated, difficulty communicating, and not making eye contact.
Meanwhile, the couple had another child Aishwarya in the span of time that followed.
In November 2010, a team from the Child Welfare Committee (CWS) showed up at Sagarika’s house after “receiving disquieting alerts about Abhigyan and his relationship with his mother”.
Following this, officials from the team made frequent visits to the home.
Sagarika recounts that “the lady officer from the agency would often come to observe us. She would be there at any odd time, while I was cooking or feeding my baby. She just used to sit and keep looking at me.”
One day, in May 2011, when Sagarika had left her son in kindergarten and was at a meeting with the social worker at home, an argument broke out.
One of the care workers took Aishwarya under the pretext of taking her out for a walk till the situation cooled down.
Sometime later, the care workers called up the parents and informed them that both children were now in CWS custody.
Two days later, when they went to the police station to see their children, an emotional Sagarika was unable to contain her outburst, which only made things worse for the couple.
Abhigyan was diagnosed with an attachment disorder, and the children were separated from their parents and placed in foster care.
In April of that year, after intervention by the Government of India, the Norwegian court handling the case allowed the children to return to India, under the condition that they would live with a relative.
Meanwhile, the entire ordeal took a toll on Sagarika and Anurup's marriage, and the two decided to part ways.
After months of back and forth between police officials, the Child Welfare Committee and the Kolkata High Court, Sagarika reunited with her children in April 2012.
On her reunion with her children, she said, “I am overwhelmed…as I am able to kiss them and [hold] them in my lap after one full year. I can’t express myself.”
The role of Sagarika will be essayed by Rani Mukherjee who calls this “one of the most significant films” of her 25-year-long career.