Bollywood actress Ananya Panday is making headlines for her new movie Chand Mera Dil. While many have praised the film, one scene that caught everyone’s attention was Ananya’s Bharatanatyam fusion dance performance in the movie. The actress has been facing trolling on social media over the dance sequence.
Ridhima Pandit’s Reaction
Ridhima Pandit, who was last seen on the reality show The 50, seemingly took a dig at the actress for her “guts.” Clips of Ananya performing the fusion Bharatanatyam routine in the film have been surfacing online. The videos have gone viral, with fans and celebrities reacting to them. Ridhima also reacted to one of the videos and shared her take on it.
The video featured the text, “When you learn Bharatanatyam from an online tutorial for your culturals.” It also showed “Bharatanatyam” marked with a cross, while “Roboratanatyam” was marked with a tick. Viewers flooded the comments section with reactions. Ridhima also commented on the clip and wrote, “Guts,” along with two crying emojis.
Chunky Panday Defends His Daughter
Ananya’s father and actor Chunky Panday also reacted to the criticism his daughter has been facing online. In an interview with ETimes, Chunky said, “I think people completely misunderstood it. It was never meant to be pure Bharatanatyam. It was a fusion performance, the kind of experimental dance you often see college students perform at social or cultural events. People assumed it was traditional Bharatanatyam and started judging it from that lens.”
He further added, “Pure Bharatanatyam requires years of rigorous training, almost 20 years of discipline and precision. It’s extremely technical and structured in its movements and expressions. This was a fusion of futuristic and advanced dance forms with elements of traditional dance. It was a creative blend, not a classical recital. I would request people to watch the film and understand the context before reacting.”
Online Debate Intensifies
The controversy has sparked a wider debate on social media about the boundaries of fusion dance and the expectations placed on actors when attempting classical forms. While some users defended Ananya, arguing that the sequence was clearly labeled as a fusion, others criticized it as a disrespectful portrayal of a traditional art form. The discussion continues to trend, with many awaiting the film’s release to judge the performance in its proper context.
