
Based on a real-life incident, the film tells the story of Indian immigrant Debika Chatterjee (Rani Mukerji) who must fight for the custody of her own children after they are handed over to foster care by the Norwegian childcare services. She is deemed unfit for their upbringing.
The film is inspired by the true story of Sagarika Chakraborty, an Indian woman whose children were taken away from her by the Norwegian government. Sagarika had made headlines in 2012 as she fought against the Norwegian authorities to get back custody of her children. The entire issue had even caused a diplomatic row between India and Norway.
Moving to the screen adaptation, Debika (Rani Mukerji as Sagarika) is a young Bengali housewife grappling with motherhood and her life in Norway. Even as her husband adapts to the Norwegian language and norms, she prefers to retain her Indian roots and wear them on her sleeve. Expect gorgeous Kolkata cotton saris on the lead actress in freezing Norway, over trench coats and she slipping into Bengali mid-conversation frequently. Her aversion to clone the Norwegian way of life and refusal to let go of her Indianness, draws the attention of some corrupt officers in the Norwegian childcare services. Common Indian practises like eating with hands, hand feeding your child, sleeping in the same bed as your child… are looked upon as bad parenting traits and reason enough to separate the kids from their parents.l