Lord Nataraja is suffering: Internet roasts Ananya's dance clip in Chand Mera Dil
A dance sequence from Ananya Panday's Chand Mera Dil has triggered strong reactions online. Several X users criticised the video and called it a poor interpretation of Bharatanatyam.
There is no respite for actor Ananya Panday from online trolls just yet. This time, a stage performance from her latest film Chand Mera Dil has landed her in the middle of a social media storm.
In the viral video, Panday is seen performing on stage during a college reunion function as the audience watches. Her on-screen partner Aarav, played by Lakshya, looks on with shocked expressions.
In Chand Mera Dil, Ananya’s character Chandni is the daughter of a Bharatanatyam dancer, and the sequence is designed as a fusion set where she attempts to blend traditional Bharatanatyam choreography with modern-day hip-hop.
On X, the reaction to her dance peformance was swift and savage. Users served up one-liners calling the sequence a misunderstanding of Bharatanatyam, mocked the dance, and took particular issue with the use of a Nataraja idol in the background.
Online reaction to the video
Bharatnatyam performer Anita Ratnam commented on Ananya Panday's performance, saying, "Watching this clip felt like Bharatanatyam being held hostage by a catastrophic misunderstanding of the form. Somewhere between the flailing arms and random camera moves, the dance quietly packed its bags and exited the building (sic)."
The dancer, who has also acted in the Tamil film Kandukonein Kandukonein, added that Bharatanatyam is rooted in technique, control, tradition, geometry, musicality and emotional depth. However, she felt, the clip reduced it to something resembling a chaotic wedding sangeet performance.
Ratnam added that the issue was not simply that it was bad, but the confidence with which it ignored centuries of sophistication, training, dedication and devotion. Calling it choreography born out of “algorithmic panic”, she remarked that even Lord Nataraja would suffer watching it.
An X user, who shared the clip online, commented, "Someone needs to stop Ananya Pandey ji before she further destroys Bharatanatyam. That audacity to have Nataraja idol in the background and perform like this...(sic)."
A second user said, "#AnanyaPandey literally turned a 2000-year-old glorious legacy of Classical Bharatanatyam into a complete joke on screen. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone files a case against Ananya in the future over this Cringe."
A third user said, "Bharatanatyam survived empires, invasions, and centuries but then Ananya Panday arrived in 2026 and said, “my turn".
Another user commented, "Bharatnatyam evolved in 200 BCE and ended with Ananya Pandey in 2026. @ananyapandayy Why did you do this? What enmity do you have with Indian culture and the people who watch films? Please stop acting and have mercy on US."
Some posts featuring the sequence were also hit with copyright claims initiated by the makers and were taken down from X.
Check out how other social media users are reacting to the video:
More about Chand Mera Dil
The film is about navigating heartbreaks, romance and family drama as Gen-Zs. It is directed by Vivek Singh and produced by Dharma Productions. The supporting cast includes Aastha Singh, Pratham Rathod, Aashish Dubey, Ankur Poddar and Elvis Jose in key roles.
India Today gave the film 1.5 stars. A part of the review read, "The film is awkwardly suspended between both generations, trying to be romantic, woke, feminist, stylish, emotional, and twisty all at once, only to suffocate under the pressure of being everything simultaneously."
Chand Mera Dil was released in theatres on May 22 and is having a low to moderate run at the box office.