The controversy centers around a college cultural and reunion sequence where Ananya’s character, Chandni — who is established in the film's script as the daughter of a seasoned classical dancer — takes the stage. What was structurally designed by director Vivek Soni and his team to be a modern, experimental fusion of Bharatanatyam, contemporary hip-hop, and locking elements has instead been branded by critics as a “catastrophic misunderstanding” of a 2,000-year-old cultural legacy.
The Critique: “A Catastrophic Misunderstanding”
The online pushback transitioned from standard internet meme-bait into serious artistic critique when towering figures from the classical dance fraternity and public spaces stepped in to evaluate the performance layout:
• Anita Ratnam's Sharp Takedown: Acclaimed Bharatanatyam exponent and cultural commentator Anita Ratnam did not hold back her disappointment, bluntly stating 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.”
Ratnam further emphasized that while the ancient dance form relies entirely on impeccable geometry, control, and emotional fluidity, the on-screen execution looked more like a chaotic sangeet routine at a random wedding.
• The Political Roast: Adding political weight to the digital backlash, Congress spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamed — who trained in the dance form from age seven to thirteen and completed her arangetram (debut stage performance) in Kuwait — issued a fiercely-worded public statement:
“Ananya Panday has killed my favorite dance form – Bharatanatyam! Classical dance needs to be studied over a period of time and can’t be manufactured for Ms. Panday! Please don’t ever insult such beautiful art.”
The Internet Consensus: The Betrayed Nataraja Idol
The fury across platforms like X and Reddit has quickly given rise to highly sarcastic commentary, with audiences calling out the jarring mismatch between the sequence's heavy spiritual background setting and its actual physical output.
• The Backdrop Aesthetic: Many purists expressed deep discomfort over the creative decision to place a sacred, prominent Lord Nataraja idol directly in the background while the actor executed rigid, mechanical modern dance locks.
“The audacity to have a Nataraja idol in the background and perform like this... Who knew a Nataraja idol could look so betrayed?” read one viral social post.
• The “Robotic” Stiff Movements: Viewers routinely criticized Ananya’s total lack of classical abhinaya (facial expressions) and loose posture. Memes have flooded digital feeds jokingly suggesting that the choreography looked less like a classical recital and more like “the exorcism worked halfway and the demon stayed for the choreography.”
The Defense: Is the Backlash Unfairly Targeted?
While the overwhelming majority of commentary leans toward negative critique, a smaller section of filmgoers has stepped forward to contextualize the scene and defend the actor.
A behind-the-scenes rehearsal clip that surfaced late yesterday has shifted a portion of the blame toward the film's choreographers rather than Ananya's personal capability, with fans asking: “Is this the fault of the choreography or Ananya's dance skill?”
Others point out that within the narrative framework of a casual college cultural function, a student group's fusion presentation isn't legally or artistically bound to mimic a flawless, pure temple recital. Furthermore, movie buffs have pointed out that the intense trolling carries a heavy rollover of the ongoing nepotism fatigue that has followed Ananya since her debut.
SantaBanta Verdict:
Bollywood has a long history of blending classical dance forms with cinematic pop elements, but there is a very fine line between an “ambitious fusion” and a total structural collapse. When an actor tackles a legendary art form like Bharatanatyam, audiences naturally recall the pristine, soulful screen authority delivered by trained icons like Hema Malini, Vyjayanthimala, or more recently, Sai Pallavi.
By catching herself awkwardly in a middle ground — too stiff to capture classical grace, yet too restrained to properly nail sharp hip-hop locks — Ananya’s performance has inadvertently turned a pivotal emotional movie moment into a national meme.
