Absolutely rubbish: Ananya Panday's dance mentor reacts to Bharatanatyam backlash
Dancer and choreographer Sandip Soparrkar has reacted strongly to the criticism surrounding Ananya Panday's Bharatanatyam fusion performance in Chand Mera Dil, sparking a wider debate around classical dance and cinema.
Dancer and choreographer Sandip Soparrkar has defended Ananya Panday amid the backlash over her Bharatanatyam fusion performance in Chand Mera Dil, calling the criticism against the actor “absolutely rubbish”. In a strongly worded Instagram post, Soparrkar accused the “so-called gatekeepers of classical dance” of selectively targeting the young actor over a cinematic performance.
The choreographer, who has mentored Ananya in the past, said the outrage was misplaced and hypocritical, especially at a time when classical, commercial and fusion dance forms have long overlapped in reality television and social media content. His remarks come as clips from Chand Mera Dil continue to spark debate online, with some social media users criticising Ananya’s Bharatanatyam-inspired dance sequence in the film.
Why did Sandip Soparrkar defend Ananya Panday?
Backing the actor publicly, Soparrkar said Ananya had trained seriously for the role and delivered exactly what the filmmakers had envisioned. He stressed that cinema interprets dance differently from a traditional classical performance staged in a sabha setting.
“The outrage against Ananya Panday’s Bharatanatyam dance is absolutely rubbish,” he wrote on Instagram. “Films are about storytelling, entertainment, and interpretation, not preserving pedagogy textbooks.”
Take a look at his post on Instagram:
Soparrkar also argued that many critics who are objecting now had remained silent when fusion dance styles became mainstream through television and digital platforms.
What did Soparrkar say about Ananya’s training?
Recalling his association with Ananya from her Le Bal des Debutantes Paris days, Soparrkar described the actor as sincere, disciplined and hardworking. He urged people to appreciate effort rather than publicly shame performers experimenting with classical forms in mainstream cinema.
“Art evolves. Cinema adapts. Selective outrage and two-faced behaviour need to stop,” he added, while encouraging Ananya to ignore the negativity surrounding the performance.
What is Chand Mera Dil about?
Chand Mera Dil marks the first on-screen collaboration between Ananya Panday and Lakshya. The film is written by Vivek Soni and Tushar Paranjape, based on a story by Soni.
The project features music by Sachin-Jigar, cinematography by Debojeet Ray, and editing by Prashanth Ramachandran. Ananya was last seen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri alongside Kartik Aaryan, while Lakshya recently appeared in The Ba**ds of Bollywood, created by Aryan Khan.
Dancer and choreographer Sandip Soparrkar has defended Ananya Panday amid the backlash over her Bharatanatyam fusion performance in Chand Mera Dil, calling the criticism against the actor “absolutely rubbish”. In a strongly worded Instagram post, Soparrkar accused the “so-called gatekeepers of classical dance” of selectively targeting the young actor over a cinematic performance.
The choreographer, who has mentored Ananya in the past, said the outrage was misplaced and hypocritical, especially at a time when classical, commercial and fusion dance forms have long overlapped in reality television and social media content. His remarks come as clips from Chand Mera Dil continue to spark debate online, with some social media users criticising Ananya’s Bharatanatyam-inspired dance sequence in the film.
Why did Sandip Soparrkar defend Ananya Panday?
Backing the actor publicly, Soparrkar said Ananya had trained seriously for the role and delivered exactly what the filmmakers had envisioned. He stressed that cinema interprets dance differently from a traditional classical performance staged in a sabha setting.
“The outrage against Ananya Panday’s Bharatanatyam dance is absolutely rubbish,” he wrote on Instagram. “Films are about storytelling, entertainment, and interpretation, not preserving pedagogy textbooks.”
Take a look at his post on Instagram:
Soparrkar also argued that many critics who are objecting now had remained silent when fusion dance styles became mainstream through television and digital platforms.
What did Soparrkar say about Ananya’s training?
Recalling his association with Ananya from her Le Bal des Debutantes Paris days, Soparrkar described the actor as sincere, disciplined and hardworking. He urged people to appreciate effort rather than publicly shame performers experimenting with classical forms in mainstream cinema.
“Art evolves. Cinema adapts. Selective outrage and two-faced behaviour need to stop,” he added, while encouraging Ananya to ignore the negativity surrounding the performance.
What is Chand Mera Dil about?
Chand Mera Dil marks the first on-screen collaboration between Ananya Panday and Lakshya. The film is written by Vivek Soni and Tushar Paranjape, based on a story by Soni.
The project features music by Sachin-Jigar, cinematography by Debojeet Ray, and editing by Prashanth Ramachandran. Ananya was last seen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri alongside Kartik Aaryan, while Lakshya recently appeared in The Ba**ds of Bollywood, created by Aryan Khan.
