Chunky Panday Defends Ananya Panday Amid Chand Mera Dil Bharatanatyam Backlash

Chunky Panday defends Ananya Panday after the actor faced criticism online over a Bharatanatyam fusion performance featured in Chand Mera Dil. A clip from the film recently went viral, triggering debate among social media users and members of the classical dance community, many of whom questioned the choreography and execution of the sequence.

The scene features Ananya’s character Chandni performing a fusion routine that combines Bharatanatyam with hip-hop and locking instead of presenting a conventional recital. While some viewers appreciated the attempt at experimentation, others felt the performance failed to respect the technical depth of the classical form.

Chunky Panday on Chand Mera Dil dance controversy

Addressing the backlash in an interview with ETimes, Chunky Panday argued that the performance had been interpreted incorrectly.

It was stated by Chunky that people had “completely misunderstood” the sequence and that it was never intended to represent pure Bharatanatyam. According to him, the routine reflected the kind of fusion often seen at college cultural performances rather than a formal classical presentation.

He further explained that Bharatanatyam requires years of rigorous training and discipline, adding that the dance form is highly technical and structured. It was also requested by him that audiences watch the film and understand the context before judging the sequence.

Bharatanatyam fusion debate around Ananya Panday performance

The discussion gained further momentum after prominent Bharatanatyam dancer and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Anita Ratnam publicly criticised the choreography.

It was written by Ratnam that Bharatanatyam is rooted in technique, geometry, musicality and emotional depth, while the viral clip reduced it to something resembling “a wedding sangeet filmed during a mild earthquake”. She also argued that the choreography bulldozed through centuries of training and tradition.

Directed by Vivek Soni and backed by Dharma Productions, Chand Mera Dil follows two engineering students navigating romance and adulthood. The film has received mixed reviews and has crossed ₹13 crore at the box office in five days, though momentum remains modest.

Meanwhile, Chunky Panday is preparing for the release of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, directed by David Dhawan and set to arrive in theatres on June 4.