A sequence from the latest Hindi release Chand Mera Dil, starring Ananya Panday, is the latest topic of discussion on the internet. The scene shows Ananya's character making an awkward movement as she tries to perform classical dance on stage. Netizens have been very critical of the actor ever since the clip from the film surfaced on the internet.
A user mocked the dance, saying, "Bharatnatyam devolved in 200 BCE and ended with Ananya Pandey in 2026." Quote tweeting this opinion, another user wrote, "The incompetence of starkids genuinely baffles me you were probably 5 years old when you knew this is the field you want to be in and had all the time and resources since to prepare for it."
"Ananya Pandey’s Bharatanatyam = cultural desecration in designer lehenga. Ananya, Bharatanatyam survived 2000 years of history. It didn’t survive for you to butcher it. Stick to ramps and leave sacred arts for those who actually train. Talentless nepo cosplay at it's worst," another user wrote about it.
The core criticism stems from the opinion that the actor does not know how to perform the dance like how a professional would. Amidst the criticism, the actor also had some supporters and called out her detractors for making the clip accessible online.
The latest discourse appears to be the result of long-held animosity towards Ananya Panday for her alleged lack of acting skills. The actor's detractors have long been calling out Hindi cinema for preferring her over more talented actors, who do not have family backing like her in the industry. For the unversed, Ananya is the daughter of actor Chunky Panday.
Notably, in our Chand Mera Dil review, BH Harsh wrote that the actor "delivers a much better, more grounded performance" than Lakshya, while "committing to the melodramatic tone without relying on it."
