- Ananya Panday faced severe social media backlash for her Bharatanatyam sequence in Chand Mera Dil
- She shared an Instagram post titled Life is beautiful amid the controversy surrounding her dance performance
- Assistant choreographer Ananya Kurup defended Panday, praising her courage and hard work in the dance
Ananya Panday's Bharatanatyam sequence in Chand Mera Dil attracted severe backlash on social media, with a section particularly brutal in its trolling of the actor. Panday had largely remained quiet about the controversy until today, when she shared an Instagram carousel captioned "Life is beautiful."
The carousel features pictures of her with sister Rysa, a pizza and a bunch of flowers. The actress looks blissful as she soaks up the sunlight, listens to music and takes in the scenic beauty around her.
The Controversy
A clip from the film has been impossible to miss online, showing Ananya's character blending Bharatanatyam with hip-hop and locking while co-star Lakshya watches in admiration. But while the film may have intended the scene to be a bold modern twist, the internet has had other thoughts.
From memes to detailed critiques, the performance has sparked a heated debate, with many social media users - and even seasoned Bharatanatyam dancers - weighing in on whether the fusion worked or missed the mark entirely.
The Choreographer's Reaction
Defending Ananya Panday, assistant choreographer Ananya Kurup said that attempting a classical dance form outside one's comfort zone requires both courage and commitment. She also described the actor as 'hardworking' and highlighted the effort she had put in despite limited time.
The comment of the choreographer read, "Trying a classical art form outside your comfort zone takes courage and dedication. Bharatanatyam is something dancers train in for years to perfect the grace, expressions, and technique. @ananyapanday put in genuine hard work and effort in a very short span of time, and that deserves appreciation. Instead of pulling someone down for trying something new, let's encourage artists who challenge themselves and give their best."
About Chand Mera Dil
The film is written by Vivek Soni and Tushar Paranjape, based on a story by Soni. It features music by Sachin-Jigar, cinematography by Debojeet Ray, and editing by Prashanth Ramachandran.
Chand Mera Dil marks the first on-screen collaboration between Ananya Panday and Lakshya.
Ananya was last seen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri alongside Kartik Aaryan, while Lakshya recently appeared in The Ba***ds of Bollywood, created by Aryan Khan.