Ananya Panday's Dance Scene in 'Chand Mera Dil' Sparks Controversy

Mumbai. A new controversy has started regarding a dance scene in Bollywood actress Ananya Panday's new film 'Chand Mera Dil'. Her Bharatnatyam and contemporary mix fusion dance sequence included in the film is being heavily criticized on social media.

Indian National Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed and renowned classical dancer Anita Ratnam, along with many social media users, have expressed strong objections and outrage over this dance scene. Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed has accused Ananya of ruining her favorite dance form, while on the other hand, the film's assistant choreographer has defended Ananya, praising her hard work.

Directed by Vivek Soni, the college romance drama film 'Chand Mera Dil' was released in theaters on May 22. In this film, actor Lakshya is seen in the lead role opposite Ananya Panday.

Since the film's release, a clip of one of its dance scenes has been going viral on social media platforms like X and Instagram. In the viral scene, Ananya's character is seen performing a fusion of classical dance Bharatnatyam and modern dance steps. Taking this performance as a basis, social media users are trolling Ananya Panday badly.

Reactions have also come from the political and artistic fields regarding this dance scene. Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed wrote on social media platform X, commenting that Ananya Panday has ridiculed her favorite dance form Bharatnatyam. Shama, who has been learning Bharatnatyam since childhood, further wrote, 'It takes a long time to learn this classical dance, it cannot be prepared instantly for anyone. Please do not insult a beautiful art like Bharatnatyam.'

In addition, famous classical dancer Anita Ratnam also commented on this matter, saying that watching this performance gives the feeling that Bharatnatyam has been held hostage by someone.

Amidst this controversy, there has been no official statement from the film team, including actress Ananya Panday or director Vivek Soni. However, the film's assistant choreographer Ananya Kurup has defended the actress by sharing a post on social media.

She shared a behind-the-scenes (BTS) video of the film and a screenshot of the credit roll, writing, 'The experience of working with Ananya Panday was very good. She has worked hard to learn Bharatnatyam and has given an excellent performance in the film Chand Mera Dil.'

Similarly, many of Ananya's fans are also supporting the actress, saying that this is not a traditional dance but just a fusion.