When I first encountered the talent Rani Mukerji, it was in the Bollywood blockbuster Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Apart from the fact that the movie was star-studded with Bollywood thespians such as the amazing Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan and his father, a trailblazer, Amitabh Bachchan, it was also a fantastic movie with a thrilling storyline and gripping twists. The movie centered around two spouses who sought solace in each other and eventually found love outside their respective marriages. These two went on to break their marriage vows and start an affair. It's not that I hadn't seen Rani in previous movies like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. However, there was something about her performance in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna that stuck with me in ways that lingered for several years. There's a way with her performance in that movie that’ll leave you rooting for her character, Maya, even when she was in the wrong. That's the power Rani Mukerji wields as an actor. 

In the coming years, I watched her performance in Hichki as she played Naina Mathur, a woman with Tourette Syndrome who was passionate about teaching and turned what many thought was a weakness into a unique strength. I remember crying so hard at the end of this masterpiece at just how powerful and touching it was. I had these same emotions watching her other movies like Ta Ra Rum Pum and Mardaani. Rani's performance, in addition to her other co-stars, was a testament to the raw power of Bollywood. This industry has a way of weaving movies, regardless of their themes, into unforgettable experiences that viewers will hold on to for a long time. 

Years passed by, and Rani's talent popped into my thoughts from time to time. Something about her never left my mind, from the nostalgic essence of her movie soundtracks to random thoughts about certain Bollywood movies. So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled on her recent film project, Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. I didn't take long to dive into this masterpiece that birthed this particular review. 

Mrs. Chaterjee Vs. Norway centers around an immigrant mother who goes from Norway to India, all in a bid to battle the Norwegian foster care system to regain custody of her children. The movie starts with two white ladies who seem to be kidnapping two young children with an Indian mother running after them. Later in the movie, I discovered they were Child Protection Services professionals who were critical of how Debika, an immigrant mother, raised her two children, Shubha and Suchi. I'll stop here so as not to give you any more spoilers. 

One of the significant things I enjoyed about this movie was how a real-life situation was portrayed in such a touching and relatable manner. This movie is another testament to many that Bollywood for brilliant portrayals of groundbreaking real-life events. I also enjoyed seeing sub-themes of discrimination, greed, and even domestic abuse play out in this singularly themed movie. It gave this masterpiece more depth and allowed me to be glued to the movie from start to finish. 

Rani Mukerji has once again proven she's a force to be reckoned with in Bollywood, and we can expect more masterful performances from her. Through Mrs. Chatterjee Vs. Norway, she's shown how powerful a mother's love and resolve are and how those feelings can cross borders, break walls, and open the eyes of two countries to the inadequacies they both possess.