Ananya Panday has found herself at the center of online criticism after a dance sequence from her latest film ‘Chand Mera Dil’ went viral on social media for all the wrong reasons. Netizens did not back down from their criticism of the actor’s dance performance, which appears to be an interpretation of the Bharatanatyam art form.Controversy erupted days after the film’s release when clips from a performance sequence featuring Ananya’s character Chandni started circulating online. In the scene, the actress dances at a cultural event. However, many social media users were quick to share the clip and criticized the actor’s statements and execution of the dance form, while others took issue with the choreography.Ananya Panday danced BharatnatyamSeveral comments mocking the sequence quickly went viral on all platforms. “No confidence, no expressions, no grace… No vibes,” wrote one user, while another commented, “This is not Bharatanatyam bro, he was moving like the exorcism worked midway and the demon stayed for the choreography.”“Someone must stop Ananya Pandey ji before he destroys Bharatanatyam further. Such audacity to have Nataraja idol in the background and perform like this…” read another post.“What the hell is this! Making fun of Bharatnatyam… Look at the steps it looks like a robot doing Bharatnatyam. Ananya kindly stop doing these things. Please don’t make fun of our ancient dance forms and Culture,” another commenter stated.Another user questioned whether the dance was meant to be a ‘robotic’ performance, saying, “Is Bharatnatyam like robotic? Ananya why are you making her so dirty?? You can’t even defend yourself.”Another user also wrote: “That choreographer was fighting for his life.”Anaya Panday dance videos taken from social mediaAmong the backlash, some users said clips of the sequence were being pulled online due to copyright complaints. “This video of Ananya Panday doing what looks like Bharatanatyam has been copyrighted,” complained a netizen.Hail from the netizens Sridevi and Sai PallaviBharatnatyam performancesAs criticism mounted, social media users started sharing videos of other actors’ famous on-screen classical dance performances. A viral post featured Sridevi’s temple dance sequence from the 1984 film Jaag Utha Insan, where the late actress performed a devotional number that blended Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles despite having no formal training in classical dance.Sharing the clip, one user wrote, “This is how you do Bharatanatyam.”Another viral comparison featured Sai Pallavi, who is admired for her dancing skills. “The last time an actor did perfect Bharatnatyam on screen. Movements, grace and facial expressions #SaiPallavi,” a fan wrote while sharing one of her performances.Fans defend AnanyaHowever, not all reactions were critical, with some viewers defending Ananya and contextualizing the scene within the film.“Watching movies and Bharatnatyam doesn’t seem right at all, it’s dancing in a culture, have you ever gone to college? It doesn’t seem right or good. It’s just a shitty dance for a culture to impress others,” argued one user.Another questioned whether critics were unfairly targeting the actor instead of the creative team behind the sequence, writing, “Everyone is trolling Ananya Pandey’s Bharatnaty. Is this the choreography’s fault or Ananya’s dancing skills?”
