Ananya Panday has found herself at the centre 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 hold back on their criticism of the actress’s dance performance, which appears to be a rendition of the Bharatanatyam art form.The controversy erupted just days after the film’s release when clips from a stage performance sequence featuring Ananya’s character Chandni began circulating online. In the scene, the actor performs the dance during a cultural event. However, many social media users were quick to share the clip and criticise the actress’ expressions and execution of the dance form while some others hit out at the choreography.Ananya Panday trolled for Bharatnatyam danceSeveral comments mocking the sequence quickly went viral across platforms. “No confidence, no expressions, no grace… No vibes,” one user wrote, while another commented, “This ain’t Bharatanatyam bro, she moving like the exorcism worked halfway and the demon stayed for the choreography.”“Someone needs to stop Ananya Pandey ji before she further destroys Bharatanatyam. That audacity to have Nataraja idol in the background and perform like this…” another post read.“What the hell is this! Making fun of Bharatnatyam… Look at the steps it looks like robot doing Bharatnatyam. Ananya kindly stop doing this things. Kindly don’t make fun of Our oldest dance forms and Culture,” another comment stated.Another user questioned if the dance was meant to be a ‘robotic’ interpretation, saying, “Is it like robotic Bharatnatyam??? Ananya why do you do yourself so dirty???? Can’t even defend her.”Still another user also wrote, “that choreography was fighting for its life.”Anaya Panday’s dance videos taken off social mediaAmid the backlash, some users claimed that clips of the sequence were being removed online due to copyright complaints. “They copyrighted this video of Ananya Panday doing what appears to be Bharatanatyam,” one netizen alleged.Netizens hail Sridevi and Sai Pallavi‘s Bharatnatyam performancesAs criticism intensified, social media users began sharing videos of acclaimed on-screen classical dance performances by other actors. One viral post featured Sridevi’s temple dance sequence from the 1984 film Jaag Utha Insan, where the late actor performed a devotional number blending Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles despite reportedly having no formal classical dance training.Sharing the clip, a user wrote, “This is how you do Bharatanatyam.”Another viral comparison featured Sai Pallavi, widely admired for her dance skills. “Last time an actress did perfect Bharatnatyam on screen. The moves, the 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 stepping in to defend Ananya and contextualise the scene within the film.“Watching the movie rn and it’s not supposed to be proper Bharatnatyam at all, she’s dancing at a cultural, have yall ever gone to college? It’s not supposed to be proper nor good. It’s just some shitty dance for a cultural to impress others,” one user argued.Another questioned whether the criticism was being unfairly directed at the actor instead of the creative team behind the sequence, writing, “Everyone is trolling Ananya Pandey’s Bharatnaty. Is this the fault of the choreography or Ananya’s dance skill?”
