Chunky Panday defends Ananya Panday amid backlash over Bharatanatyam fusion in Chand Mera Dil: ‘People misunderstood it’
Bollywood actor Ananya Panday recently faced backlash after a clip of her performing a Bharatanatyam fusion routine in Chand Mera Dil went viral on social media. Many users criticised her dance moves, while several Bharatanatyam dancers described the performance as “catastrophic”. Now, Ananya’s father and actor Chunky Panday has defended her amid the criticism. Chunky Panday defends daughter Ananya Panday amid criticism for her dance in Chand Mera Dil. Chunky Panday defends Ananya Panday amid criticism In an interview with ETimes, Chunky addressed the backlash surrounding Ananya’s dance sequence in Chand Mera Dil and said, “I think people completely misunderstood it. It was never meant to be pure Bharatanatyam. It was a fusion performance, the kind of experimental dance you often see college students perform at social or cultural events. People assumed it was traditional Bharatanatyam and started judging it from that lens.” He further added, “But pure Bharatanatyam requires years and years of rigorous training, almost 20 years of discipline and precision. It’s extremely technical and structured, almost robotic in its movements and expressions. …









