The recently released romantic drama Chand Mera Dil starring Lakshya and Ananya Panday opened in theatres last Friday but received a mixed response from audiences. While the movie itself has not created much excitement, one particular part of the film has taken over social media. Ananya Panday’s dance performance in the movie is now being widely discussed online, with many viewers criticizing her Bharatnatyam inspired moves.
In the film, Ananya plays a character named Chandni. There are two important scenes where her character performs a dance routine that mixes traditional Bharatnatyam with modern robotic style movements. The first scene takes place when Chandni is shown as a college student and Lakshya’s character sees her for the first time. The second performance appears during a college alumni event later in the story.
Ananya panday has literally turned Bharatanatyam into Bharta.
— Krisha 🌸 (@KrishaAsiagh) May 24, 2026
Instead of proper mudras , we got robot arms , Instead of abhinav expression we got surprise emoji face and..
Instead of footwork it look like a vibrating washing machine it feel like a some Ai took 2 hours of… pic.twitter.com/Org4HNJRsR
However, many viewers were not impressed with the dance sequences. Soon after clips from the film started circulating online, social media users began sharing strong reactions. A large number of people felt that the dance looked awkward and lacked the grace usually associated with Bharatnatyam, which is one of India’s most respected classical dance forms.
Some users even accused the film of disrespecting traditional dance. One comment jokingly said that artificial intelligence could have performed the steps better. Another user claimed that the performance felt like a mockery of Bharatnatyam. Several others expressed disappointment that such an important Indian art form was mixed with robotic movements in a way they did not enjoy.
Meet Ananya Pandey
— The Reel Analyst (@Samirmaske303) May 24, 2026
She is nepo kid
Her Second Father is Karan Johar
She complete Acting Course from
Dharma Production
After Destroying the Production house
She is on way to destroy our CULTURE
Bharatnatyam costume with Robots steps pic.twitter.com/zO1SY7l8zW
At the same time, a few people defended Ananya and pointed out that actors often perform according to the director’s vision and choreography given to them. Some fans also appreciated the attempt to try something different by blending classical and modern dance styles. Still, the criticism has been much louder, making the dance one of the most talked about moments from the film.
Despite the backlash, the viral clips have brought huge attention to the movie online. Many people who had not heard about the film earlier are now watching the scenes out of curiosity. Whether audiences loved it or hated it, Ananya’s dance performance has clearly become the biggest talking point surrounding Chand Mera Dil right now.