The dance performance sequence by Ananya Panday in the movie Chand Mera Dil that was recently released has created a great stir among netizens. In the video, which is currently going viral on X, the actress is seen dancing in a college function in the movie, while the protagonist played by Lakshya looks on. The entire dance performance was meant to be an amalgamation of Bharatanatyam and hip-hop dance, according to the creators.
It got even worse because the character Chandni, played by Ananya Panday, is portrayed as being born of a Bharatanatyam dance in the movie. It was also noted that a Lord Nataraja statue in the backdrop while dancing was offensive. One user wrote on X, “Someone needs to stop Ananya Pandey ji before she further destroys Bharatanatyam. That audacity to have Nataraja idol in the background and perform like this...”
Anita Ratnam, a Bharatanatyam performer, was also very passionate about what she had seen in this video. She mentioned that, “Watching this clip felt like Bharatanatyam being held hostage by a catastrophic misunderstanding of the form. Somewhere between the flailing arms and random camera moves, the dance quietly packed its bags and exited the building.”
She also pointed out that Bharatanatyam dance was based on ‘technique, control, tradition, geometry, music and emotions,’ but the order made it appear as if ‘it’s a sangeet at someone’s wedding.’
Other users too ridiculed the dance act on social media. A comment stated, “#AnanyaPandey literally turned a 2000-year-old glorious legacy of Classical Bharatanatyam into a complete joke on screen.” Another commenter said, “Bharatanatyam survived empires, invasions, and centuries but then Ananya Panday arrived in 2026 and said, ‘my turn’.” One X user gave a strong reaction saying, “I have never seen the ass twerking step in Bharatnatyam. These Bollywood nincompoops should be slapped in public.”
Directed by Vivek Singh and produced by Dharma Productions, Chand Mera Dil focuses on love, heartbreaks, and family drama among the Gen-Zs. The movie also features Lakshya along with Aastha Singh, Pratham Rathod, Aashish Dubey, Ankur Poddar, and Elvis Jose.
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