Ananya Panday receives backlash for 'Chand Mera Dil' Bharatnatyam scene, veteran calls it "catastrophic misunderstanding"

• Ananya Panday’s dance clip from Chand Mera Dil went viral.
• The performance mixed Bharatanatyam with hip-hop and locking.
• Several classical dancers criticized the sequence online.
• The scene appears during a college reunion in the film.
• Chand Mera Dil released in theaters on Friday (22).

Ananya Panday became the center of a social media controversy after clips of her dance performance from Chand Mera Dil started circulating online.

The performance received criticism from many viewers, especially classical dancers, who said the sequence disrespected Bharatanatyam, one of India’s oldest classical dance forms.

However, the scene in the film was presented as a fusion act and not as a pure Bharatanatyam performance.

Ananya stars opposite Lakshya in Chand Mera Dil, a romantic drama about two aspiring engineers dealing with heartbreak, family struggles, emotional trauma, and complicated relationships.

The controversial dance scene takes place during a college reunion sequence in the film. The moment plays an important emotional role in the story.

Ananya’s character, Chandni, is shown as the daughter of a Bharatanatyam dancer. Instead of performing a traditional recital, Chandni presents a fusion performance that combines Bharatanatyam-inspired choreography with modern hip-hop and locking styles.

The dance appears twice in the film. It is first shown during Chandni’s college years and later during a reunion event. In both scenes, Lakshya’s character Aarav is shown deeply impressed by her performance.

Much of the online backlash came from viewers who treated the sequence as a traditional Bharatanatyam act instead of a deliberate fusion performance.

Despite that, criticism quickly spread across social media platforms.

Anita Ratnam also criticized the performance. She wrote, "Watching this clip felt like Bharatanatyam 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 (sic)."

Another social media user wrote, "Bharatnatyam was founded in 200 BCE and ended with Ananya Pandey in 2026 (sic)."

The viral clips generated strong reactions online, with many viewers debating whether fusion performances involving classical dance forms should have clearer artistic boundaries.

The performance itself features dramatic choreography, quick camera movements, and a blend of classical-inspired hand gestures mixed with contemporary street dance techniques.

While many viewers criticized the sequence, others pointed out that the film never claimed the dance was meant to be a pure Bharatanatyam recital.

The article noted that although Ananya looked visually impressive in the sequence, the performance struggled to fully balance both dance styles.

It said the Bharatanatyam-inspired sections and the hip-hop portions did not come together smoothly enough to completely succeed as a fusion concept.

The review described the act as feeling “caught awkwardly between two worlds — too stylised to be classical, yet too restrained to fully embrace contemporary flair.”

Chand Mera Dil was directed by Vivek Soni and produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.

The film was released in theaters on Friday (22).

The movie also received a negative response from critics. India Today gave the film a 1.5-star rating.

Part of the review stated, Chand Mera Dil often feels less like a theatrical romance and more like an Ekta Kapoor television serial with a better costume budget. Actually, scratch that - it genuinely plays like a modern-day Kasautii Zindagii Kay (this is the right spelling, btw). All that's missing is dramatic thunder sounds and someone re-entering after plastic surgery. Because at some point, you will spot an Anurag, a Prerna, a Sneha and a Mr Bajaj lurking inside this film."