Actor Rani Mukerji who played the character of an immigrant mother, who fights against all odds to win back the custody of her children, in 'Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway' said quality content-driven cinema will always draw an audience as people are interested in a good story.
As the Ashima Chibber directed film marked one year of its theatrical release on March 17, Rani shared her experience of being part of it and what made her do experimental cinema.
Rani told ANI, "It gives immense happiness as then we realise that our audience wants to watch different sorts of movies, content and if we present good content and story then they will come to watch."
On her movie, 'Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway' getting immense love from the audience, she shared, "I have given many interviews saying that it is the story of an Indian woman residing in another nation, who faces difficulties and loses her children as well. It is a story of a mother's power, courage, strength and the way she didn't give up, and the way she fought for her children in a country where she didn't even know the language. So, the story that was made on such an Indian woman brought an awareness that such things also happen in foreign countries."
Mukerji added that the movie sent out a strong message and made people understand that "living in India is a very big thing".
"We should understand that because there are a lot of people in India who think that if we go abroad, our life will be better. But living in our country and being an Indian, living in India is a very big thing in itself. Because we take a lot of facilities for granted. But we may not get the same facilities in other countries. The rules and regulations in other countries may not be the same in our country. Similarly, the comforts and facilities that we have in our country may not be the same in other countries. So before settling in any country, we should know everything about that country."
So, through 'Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway', the eyes of many people opened because just think that your children are taken away from you because you are raising them in a Hindustani way. So, this is one thing that I got from this story. I felt that I should play this role. "
Rani shared that many people have doubts about the success of the film and if content-driven cinema will work on big screen. However, the movie received good response from the audience and proved that if the story good people will appreciate it.
"The release of this film there were question marks at that time because the movie was relaesing in the post-pandemic era. At that time, there was an environment where everyone used to say that a content film can only run on the OTT platform and all the viewers have to see a big picture on big screens. And this film proved everyone wrong. Because audience are interested in seeing a good story," said the 'Ghulam' actor.
Earlier, Rani expressed gratitude to the audience for loving her role. She said,"As we mark the one-year anniversary of Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. The love that audiences worldwide have showered on Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway and on me has been incredibly special. MCVN has been a journey that I am very proud of."
"The film released at a time when cinema was going through a rough patch at the box-office. Because of the pandemic, we witnessed a rapidly dynamic environment that forced us to adapt, to innovate, and to reimagine the ways in which we connect with the audiences. When the movie hit the theatres, it went on to become the first successful content film post-pandemic," she added.
Rani recently bagged the Best Actress Award at Zee Cine Awards. ""MCVN's success reaffirms the timeless power of storytelling and the universal language of maternal love and human resilience. As I reflect on this one year milestone, we hope to continue to take greater risks and pursue stories that tug our hearts," she further said.
On receiving the award, Rani exclaimed, "This award is very special for me. This is my 27th year in the industry and it is heartening to see to that my work being acknowledged and awarded. MCVN is a very special film because it is the story of a mother and her strength. For me, it was necessary to ensure that this story reaches a larger audience, because this is a story of every Indian woman, every mother."
Directed by Ashima Chibber, 'Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway' (MCVN) talks about the life of an immigrant mother who fights against all odds to win back the custody of her children. Neena Gupta, Jim Sarbh and Bengali actor Anirban Bhattacharya played pivotal roles in the movie.
