Ananya Panday's Bharatanatyam Scene In Chand Mera Dil Was ‘Completely Misunderstood,' Says Chunky Panday

Ananya

Panday’s Bharatanatyam fusion sequence in Chand Mera Dil sparked backlash online, with several trained dancers criticising the performance. Now, the actress's father, Chunky Panday, has reacted to the criticism, saying the performance was “completely misunderstood” by viewers online. The viral clip sparked debate on social media, with several users and classical dance enthusiasts questioning the choreography and execution. Defending Ananya, Chunky explained that the sequence was designed as a fusion performance similar to acts commonly seen at college cultural festivals, and was never intended to be judged as a pure Bharatanatyam recital.

Chunky Panday reacts to Ananya Panday's Bharatanatyam scene

Speaking to ETimes, Chunky Panday said the sequence featuring Ananya Panday had been “completely misunderstood” as it was never intended to be a pure Bharatanatyam performance. He explained that the act was designed as a fusion routine often seen at college festivals. “People assumed it was traditional Bharatanatyam and started judging it from that lens,” he said, urging audiences to watch the scene in the context of the film, Chand Mera Dil.

Why Ananya Panday faced criticism?

In Chand Mera Dil, Ananya Panday plays Chandni, the daughter of a Bharatanatyam dancer essayed by Charu Shankar. The viral sequence features Chandni performing a fusion act that combines Bharatanatyam with hip-hop and locking instead of a traditional classical recital. The choreography sparked debate online, with several Bharatanatyam artists criticising the performance, including acclaimed dancer Anita Ratnam.Anita stressed that Bharatanatyam is an art form grounded in discipline, precision, musicality, emotional expression, and years of training. Criticising the choreography, she compared the performance to a chaotic wedding sangeet routine and argued that it overlooked the centuries of devotion, refinement, and cultural legacy attached to the classical dance tradition.

About Chand Mera Dil

Directed by Vivek Soni, Chand Mera Dil is a coming-of-age relationship drama centred on college sweethearts Aarav and Chandni, played by Lakshya and Ananya Panday. Set in the backdrop of an engineering college in Hyderabad, the film chronicles their young love story, which takes an unexpected turn after an unplanned pregnancy. What begins as a carefree love story gradually transforms into an emotional journey through marriage, financial pressures, unresolved childhood traumas and the struggles of becoming parents at a young age.The narrative explores how the couple’s personal insecurities and emotional baggage begin to affect their relationship after they choose to marry at a young age. Chandni, raised by a single mother who endured domestic violence, and Aarav, who grew up in an emotionally distant household, find their unresolved pasts resurfacing amid career setbacks and mounting responsibilities.