Ananya Panday has been making headlines for her latest film release, and while a lot is going on around the movie, this one’s not all for good reasons.
The actress performed a Bharatnatyam dance in the movie, wearing traditional attire, which also included contemporary fusion, and this has not sat well with many on the internet.
While some criticised her overall performance, some simply pointed out how it was disrespectful.
Ananya Panday criticised for Bharatnatyam fusion dance in Chand Mera Dil
A viral clip of Ananya Panday’s Chandni performing a fusion Bharatnatyam performance on stage in Chand Mera Dil has been doing the rounds online, and the internet is not very happy about the entire premise as well as the dance itself.
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Someone wrote, “Cant keep defending Ananya Panday at this point…tf was that,” while another user shared, “Bharatnatyam devolved in 200 BCE and ended with Ananya Pandey in 2026.” A few people on the internet also went on to call out her dance itself and said it looked rather ‘robotic’, among other things.
“I learned classical dance for over 10 years and this is beyond atrocious. Someone with no experience would tell you the same. Pure disrespect towards the dance form,” wrote someone on Reddit, while another said, “I don’t know which dance she’s doing but this is everything except the Bharathanatyam.” A user also wrote, “Somebody posted this on Instagram with caption “Ananya slayed!!!” and everyone in the comments was clowning them.”
Chand Mera Dil meanwhile, is directed by Vivek Soni, who is known for having also directed Meenakshi Sundareshwar. The film narrates the story of Aarav (Lakshya) and Chandni, which turns into a rather intense love story.
Chand Mera Dil released in theatres on May 22, 2026, and so far, it has had a very lukewarm opening at the . The film’s numbers witnessed a slight rise on its first Sunday as the movie earned Rs 4.35 crore at the box office, which has now taken it’s opening weekend total to Rs 11 crore.