Signing you in

Actor Ananya Panday’s fusion Bharatanatyam performance in the romantic drama Chand Mera Dil recently drew criticism from social media users and several dance professionals. After her father Chunky Panday came to her defence, her Chand Mera Dil co-star Charu Shankar has now stepped forward to support the actor.

In a recent interview, Charu, who played the role of Ananya’s mother Nivedita in the film, revealed that Ananya was deeply committed during the practice sessions. She also slammed social media trolls, stating mockery is ‘not okay.’

During a chat with Hindustan Times, Charu Shankar addressed the criticism and said, “I think everyone is entitled to their opinion, but trolling is never in good taste. Conversations around art are valid. Mockery is not.”

She continued, “The sequence being discussed was always conceived as a contemporary, edgy breakout introduction for Chandni’s character. In the film’s visual storytelling, this moment announces the arrival of a young woman who is not afraid to break the rules.”

The actor recalled how she bonded with Ananya Panday through the practicing sessions. “Both Ananya and I were deeply committed to this process, and we really bonded through it. The fact that both of our characters are dancers became psychologically very important to me. I felt that her daughter inherits not just an art form from Nivedita, but also resilience, dignity, and courage,” Charu shared.

ALSO READ | ‘Why target her?’: Shobhaa De slams ‘Nepo Natyam’ trolling of Ananya in Chand Mera Dil

She further added that it’s how their characters Nivedita and Chandni are able to move forward amid unfair domestic realities. “They speak up. They take a stance. They walk away when they need to. There’s tremendous strength there. Their artistry becomes part of how they survive, how they process pain, and eventually, how they reclaim themselves. I loved this aspect of the script.”

Talking about her own character in Chand Mera Dil, Charu Shankar shared, “She used dance to recreate a life for herself and her daughter with dignity, discipline and grace. That resilience sits at the core of who she is. Outwardly, she is always elegant and composed- the sarees, the stylised hand gestures, the calm way in which she speaks. But when it comes down to it, she is deeply formidable.”

The actor added, “I trained for months with Bharatanatyam teacher, Suhail Bhan, learning mudras, abhinaya, nattuvangam, jatis in Adi Taalam, even how to teach a Bharatanatyam class, because I wanted dance to exist in Nivedita unconsciously. I wanted her spine, her gaze, her hands, even the way she wore silence, to feel like someone who had lived with classical dance for decades. I chose to discover my character through Bharatanatyam.”

Soon after Ananya Panday’s videos of performing fusion Bharatanatyam in Chand Mera Dil went viral, netizens started trolling the actor for her dance moves. Famous dancer Anita R Ratnam, popular for her Neo Bharatam dance form, wrote on X, “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.”

Dancer Krithika Sivaswamy commented under the tweet, “Ananya pandey’s ‘Bharatnatyam’ shows how the industry is insensitive to classical arts, how they mock it and the audacity to put it up publicly on a screen. Unfortunately in India there is no mechanism to sue those who mock classical arts. Its very fluid which makes anyone do any crap with it.”

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.

Chand Mera Dil is helmed by Vivek Soni and co-written by Soni and Tushar Paranjape. Besides Ananya Panday, the romantic drama also stars Lakshya in the lead role. Produced by Dharma Productions, the film hit theatres on May 22.

Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.