- Ananya's Bharatanatyam fusion dance in Chand Mera Dil sparked widespread social media backlash
- Choreographer Anita R Ratnam criticized the dance for misrepresenting Bharatanatyam's tradition
- The viral dance clip is from a fusion performance, not a pure Bharatanatyam recital in the film
Ananya Panday and Lakshya Lalwani recently starred in Chand Mera Dil, which released on May 22. The romance drama follows a young couple who fall in love in college, but an unexpected pregnancy turns their lives upside down. As the story progresses, misunderstandings arise between them, and responsibilities weigh heavily on their shoulders, leaving their relationship tumultuous.
While the actors are being praised for carrying an emotionally intense plot on their shoulders and doing justice to their characters, Ananya is facing backlash online for the Bharatanatyam fusion dance she performed in the movie. The dance sequence, which is going viral on social media, is performed by her character Chandni during a college orientation, leaving Aarav spellbound.
Ananya Panday's Bharatanatyam Fusion In Chand Mera Dil Trolled On Social Media
Sharing a screengrab from the movie screening, a person wrote, "Someone needs to stop Ananya Panday ji before she further destroys Bharatanatyam. The audacity to have a Nataraja idol in the background and perform like this... (crying emoji)."
Someone needs to stop Ananya Pandey ji before she further destroys Bharatanatyam.
— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) May 24, 2026
That audacity to have Nataraja idol in the background and perform like this...😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/ljg0SLNvAm
Another wrote, "Bharatanatyam was founded in 200 BCE and ended with Ananya Panday in 2026."
Bharatnatyam was founded in 200 BCE and ended with Ananya Pandey in 2026.
— HasnaZarooriHai🇮🇳 (@HasnaZaruriHai) May 24, 2026
😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/EBPwykGddP
Choreographer Anita R Ratnam said that watching the clip made her feel like the classical art was 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."
Watching this clip felt like Bharatanatyam being held hostage by a catastrophic misunderstanding of the form.
— Anita R Ratnam (@aratnam) May 25, 2026
Somewhere between the flailing arms and random camera moves, the dance quietly packed its bags and exited the building.
Bharatanatyam is built on technique, control,… https://t.co/Q8CUIdbdA9
"Bharatanatyam is built on technique, control, tradition, geometry, musicality and emotional depth. This clip treats it like a wedding sangeet filmed during a mild earthquake," she added.
"The tragedy is not that it is BAD. Bad can sometimes be charming. The tragedy is the complete confidence with which it bulldozes through centuries of sophistication, training, dedication and devotion while appearing utterly unaware that ADAVUS are not optional suggestions," the performer wrote on X.
"Ananya Panday's 'Bharatanatyam' shows how the industry is insensitive to classical arts, how they mock it, and the audacity to put it up publicly on a screen. Unfortunately, in India, there is no mechanism to sue those who mock classical arts. It's very fluid, which makes anyone do any crap with it," Krithika Sivaswamy, a Carnatic musician, wrote.
Ananya pandey's "Bharatnatyam " shows how the industry is insensitive to classical arts, how they mock it and the audacity to put it up publicly on a screen. Unfortunately in India there is no mechanism to sue those who mock classical arts. Its very fluid which makes anyone do…
— krithika sivaswamy (@krithikasivasw) May 24, 2026
A fifth X user asked, "Which movie is this?" adding, "And what kind of Bharatanatyam is this? I died laughing."
Which movie is this ?
— The Kerala Girl ( Indian ) (@the_kerala_girl) May 24, 2026
And what kinda Bharatnatyam is this 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮.
I died laughing 🙌.
Spare our culture Bollywood 🫠.
Didi ke Nitambh ko kya hua 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Dvja2v6rs9
A sixth commented, "Ananya Panday's dancing skills are as good as her acting skills."
Ananya pandey's dancing skills are as good as her acting skills 🤡 pic.twitter.com/pMDeJiEvPD
— lakshman (@rebel_notout) May 24, 2026
"Ananya Panday has killed my favourite dance form - Bharatanatyam! I learned it from the age of 7 to the age of 13 - did my Arangetram too in Kuwait and never looked back. Classical dance needs to be studied over a period of time and can't be manufactured for Ms Panday! Please don't ever insult such beautiful art as Bharatanatyam," Dr Shama Mohamed wrote.
Ananya Pandey has killed my favorite dance form - Bharatnatyam! I have learnt it from the age of 7 to the age of 13 - did my arangetram too in kuwait & never looked back.
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) May 24, 2026
Classical dance needs to be studied over a period of time & cant be manufactured for Ms Pandey! Please dont…
Another user commented, "Karan Johar has blood on his hands, and it's coming from my eyes watching her dance."
Karan Johar has blood on his hands and it's coming from my eyes watching her dance https://t.co/vAdWDXCfXB
— Sam⋆☕︎ (@Abhivridhi_Vani) May 24, 2026
"I'm still trying to figure out whether the applause and cheers from the audience at the end were for the performance or because it was finally over."
I'm still trying to figure out whether the applause & cheers from the audience at the end were for the performance or because it was finally over😭 https://t.co/UsCVRQCHOX
— Sree Harsha (@AapathBandhava) May 24, 2026
The video making rounds on social media is a few-second clip from towards the end of the performance. In the movie, Priya Madhuri's track plays in the background, blended with modern tunes, with Chandni performing a fusion dance rather than classical Bharatanatyam.
The viral video has been taken out of context, and the actor has been facing incessant backlash online.
Also Read | Chand Mera Dil Review: Ananya Panday And Lakshya's Messy Love Story Has Compatibility Issues
