- Ananya Panday faced backlash for a Bharatnatyam fusion dance in Chand Mera Dil
- Sudha Chandran criticised the makers for disrespecting the classical dance form
- She did not blame Ananya but held choreographers responsible for the dance portrayal
Ananya Panday faced massive backlash after her Bharatanatyam dance sequence from Chand Mera Dil went viral on the internet. The performance, which blended classical Bharatanatyam forms with contemporary steps, was not well received by the audience, and they called out the actor for disrespecting the dance form.
Amid the huge criticism, Sudha Chandran opened up about the controversy and slammed the makers for making fun of the classical dance form.
Sudha Chandran Reacts To Ananya Panday's Bharatanatyam Controversy
In a conversation with FilmiBeat, she said, “Main purist hoon; mujhe aisa lagta hai ki jo cheezein jaisi bani hain, unhe chhedo mat. (I'm a purist. I feel like we should not interfere with how certain things have been made.)"
She continued, “In the name of modernity and trying to experiment and do something different, don't make it a caricature. Involvement ek alag baat hoti hai. Jo humse pehle Bharatanatyam dancers the, they were purists. Humne use thoda modify kiya; humne use change karne ki koshish nahi ki woh vahiyat dikhe. No, you can't do that. See, some art forms are traditional. Har art form ka ek protocol hota hai, usse logon ke sentiments jude hote hain. (Involvement is different. Those who were original Bharatanatyam dancers were purists. We modified the classical form a little bit, but we did not try to change it so much that it looks bad... Every art form has a protocol; people's sentiments are attached to it.)"
Sudha Chandran did not blame Ananya Panday or criticise her for the dance. “I won't blame Ananya Panday because she was taught that; she is not a dancer. The choreographers should take care of it.”
Ananya Panday's Bharatanatyam Controversy
A video clip from Chand Mera Dil features Ananya Panday's character Chandni performing a Bharatanatyam fusion dance on stage while Lakshya's character watches her in admiration. Soon after the video was released, people on the internet rushed to criticise the performance.
Directed by Vivek Soni, Chand Mera Dil revolves around Aarav and Chandni's intense love story. Backed by Dharma Productions, the film starred Ananya Panday and Lakshya in lead roles. The film hit the theatres on May 22 and received mixed reviews from fans and critics.
