The debate around Ananya Panday’s dance performance in Chand Mera Dil continues to gain momentum online, with choreographer and dance expert Sandip Soparrkar now stepping forward strongly in support of the actress. Amid criticism surrounding Ananya’s fusion dance sequence in the film, Soparrkar dismissed the outrage and called out what he described as hypocrisy within sections of the classical dance community.

"Ananya Panday deserves appreciation, not trolling," says her teacher Sandip Soparrkar

“Ananya Panday deserves appreciation, not trolling,” says her teacher Sandip Soparrkar

Sandip Soparrkar, who has mentored Ananya Panday in the past, revealed that he had trained the actress during her prestigious appearance at Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris. He shared that Ananya understood “discipline, performance and presentation” from a young age while preparing to enter the entertainment industry.

Reacting to the criticism directed at the actress, Soparrkar said, “All this outrage against Ananya Panday is absolutely rubbish. Many so-called custodians and gatekeepers of Indian classical dance are suddenly finding their voice now. Where were these voices years ago when reality shows started blurring every possible line between Indian classical dance and western commercial movement vocabulary? Where were these debates when social media got flooded with ‘fusion’ performances in the name of contemporary dance?”

The choreographer argued that the sequence in Chand Mera Dil was never intended to be a traditional Bharatanatyam performance. According to him, it was designed as a cinematic interpretation inspired by classical dance forms.

“Now that the entire ecosystem has already changed, suddenly targeting a young actor for performing what was designed by a film director and choreographer makes no sense. The dance in the film is clearly a modern cinematic interpretation inspired by Bharatanatyam, not a classical margam presentation on a sabha stage,” he said.

Soparrkar further praised Ananya’s sincerity and dedication, stating, “Ananya has been my student, and I genuinely believe she has done a brilliant job with whatever was envisioned and given to her by the director Vivek Soni and the choreographer of the film Chand Mera Dil. Actors perform according to the vision of cinema. Ananya in the film is not presenting a lecture demonstration on classical purity.”

He also stressed that films should not be viewed as institutions responsible for preserving classical dance pedagogy. “Cinema is a medium of entertainment, emotion, storytelling and visual interpretation. If people are looking at mainstream commercial films as institutions to preserve classical pedagogy, then perhaps the viewpoint itself needs reconsideration,” Soparrkar added.

Calling out what he termed “selective outrage,” the choreographer urged critics to look at the larger social media ecosystem where dance forms are frequently blended and commercialised. He also claimed that many of the same people criticizing Ananya today would later seek visibility around her popularity.

“This selective outrage and hypocrisy need to stop. It is time we all support effort. Encourage artists. Guide them if needed. But public shaming in the name of preserving culture only exposes insecurity, double standards and two-faced behaviour,” he concluded.

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