What is the controversy around 'Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway'?

Rani Mukerji's latest movie 'Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway' has landed in a controversy after the Norwegian ambassador to India lashed out at the movie.

What is the Controversy All About?
The movie is based on Sagarika Chakraborty's autobiography titled 'The Journey of a Mother'. It tells the story of a woman's fight for her child custody when the government took away by the Norwegian Childcare system (Barnevernet) in 2011 due to differences in culture.

Norwegian Ambassador to India Hans Jacob Frydenlund, who watched the movie at a special screening, has raised an objection over the content, calling it a "fictional representation of the case."

"Children will never be taken away from their families based on cultural differences described. Eating with their hands or having children sleeping in bed with their parents are not considered practices harmful to children and are not uncommon in Norway, irrespective of cultural background," the Norwegian Embassy said in its statement, stressing that "some general facts must be set right".

The statement claimed that Norway is a democratic, multicultural society. "In Norway, we value and respect different family systems and cultural practices, also when these are different to what we are accustomed to - apart from corporal punishment in the upbringing. There is zero tolerance for violence in any shape or form," said the Norway Embassy.

The embassy stated that children are sent to alternative care only if they face neglect or are "subject to violence or other forms of abuse."

The Norwegian government had earlier claimed that the mother had fed her children with her hands and the couple was accused of beating their kids.

"The film projects cultural differences as the primary factor in the case, which is completely false. Without going into any details of this particular case, I categorically deny that feeding with hands and sleeping in the same bed would be the reason for placing children in alternative care. Not in this case and not in any case," he said.

Nikkhil Advani Slams Hans Jacob Frydenlund
Producer of the movie Nikkhil Advani has accused Hans Jacob Frydenlund of "admonishing two strong women" for telling this story. "Atithi Devo Bhava! is a cultural mandate in India. Every Indian is taught that by our elders. Last evening we hosted the Norwegian Ambassador and volunteered to show him our film Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.

Post the screening, I sat quietly watching him admonish two strong women who have chosen to tell this very important story. I was quiet because just like Sagarika Chakraborty, they don't need me to fight for them and 'culturally' we do not insult our guests. As far as a clarification is concerned. Video Attached (sic)," he said on Twitter and shared a video of Sagarika Chakraborty alleges the ambassdaor of speaking to her "without having any decency".

She also alleged that the Norwegian government 'continues to spread lies' about her.

Directed by Ashima Chibber, the film has Anirban Bhattacharya, Jim Sarbh, Neena Gupta and others in the cast.