Recently, Norwegian ambassador to India, Hans Jacob Frydenlund, stirred up controversy when he claimed that the Rani Mukerji-starrer Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway is a “fictional representation” of a true case, with factual inaccuracies. Now, the lead actor has hit back at the allegations, saying that the intent was not to besmirch any country.

“Everybody is entitled to an opinion. This film was not made to offend anybody. It was a story of a mother that needed to be told. People need to be aware of stories like these,” Mukerji, 45, says. She adds, “It is a true story and the intention of the movie was very different from what was being projected [by the ambassador]. It was about a mother’s journey.”

The film, directed by Ashima Chibber, is the story of Sagarika Chakraborty, whose kids were taken away from her by the Norwegian Child Welfare Services citing improper parenting. It chronicles how she stood up against the government of Norway to get her kids back.

Addressing the claim that the movie is a fictional account, she says, “Our government was involved in this. It can’t be a fictional story, because the Indian government helped in getting the children united with their mother. So, if one person says something, it’s not going to affect the larger picture of the film that we wanted to make and the story we wanted to put out.”

Given that the film has not only done well in India, but also in Norway (it earned 745k Norwegian Krones in the opening weekend), Mukerji says, “It shows that the film isn’t talking negatively about any country. It’s about this particular system that needs to be looked at in a more emotional and sensitive manner.”