Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed has strongly criticised Bollywood actor Ananya Panday's Bharatanatyam-inspired dance performance from her upcoming film Chand Mera Dil, a sequence that has recently gone viral and triggered widespread discussion on social media.
Reacting to the performance on social media X, Shama Mohamed said that classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam cannot be “manufactured” for an actor, stressing that they require years of rigorous training, discipline, and deep cultural understanding.
As someone trained in the art form, she added that the portrayal had emotionally disturbed her. She further stated in her social media post that the performance had “killed” her favourite dance tradition and urged actors not to disrespect Bharatanatyam, describing it as a sacred and beautiful classical heritage that deserves proper representation.
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Ananya Pandey has killed my favorite dance form - Bharatnatyam! I have learnt it from the age of 7 to the age of 13 - did my arangetram too in kuwait & never looked back.
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) May 24, 2026
Classical dance needs to be studied over a period of time & cant be manufactured for Ms Pandey! Please dont…
Her remarks quickly gained attention online, where the video clip from the film continues to circulate widely. The controversy has also triggered mixed reactions on the internet. While a section of viewers criticised Ananya Panday's performance, calling it inauthentic and lacking depth, others came to her defence.
Supporters argued that criticism should be directed more towards choreography, direction, and overall presentation rather than the actor alone, especially in a film sequence that may be stylised for cinematic purposes.
"You've Absolutely Nailed It"
To counter the online backlash, Ananya Kurup, an assistant choreographer, shared a series of behind-the-scenes (BTS) moments, a personal photograph with Panday, and a screenshot of the film's end credits validating her role as the instructor.
In an emotional caption, the choreographer praised Panday's character and performance:
“@ananyapanday you are truly one of the sweetest people I know! It was such a lovely experience teaching you Bharatanatyam, and you've absolutely nailed your performance in Chand Mera Dil.”
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Chand Mera Dil marks the first on-screen collaboration between Ananya Panday and Kill actor Lakshya.
Produced by Dharma Films, the film opened to average reviews.
According to the report, Chand Mera Dil has been written by Vivek Soni and Tushar Paranjape. The film's music has been composed by Sachin–Jigar, with cinematography by Debojeet Ray and editing by Prashanth Ramachandran.
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