MUMBAI: Lights, camera… controversy. But amid the growing debate around Ananya Panday’s dance performance in Chand Mera Dil, choreographer and dance guru Sandip Soparrkar has stepped firmly into her corner and he is not mincing his words.
Calling the backlash against Ananya Panday “absolute rubbish”, Soparrkar launched a sharp attack on what he described as the “self-appointed gatekeepers” of Indian classical dance, questioning why outrage surfaces only when mainstream cinema enters the conversation.
According to Soparrkar, the dance sequence in Chand Mera Dil was never meant to be a traditional Bharatanatyam recital, but rather a cinematic interpretation designed for storytelling and entertainment.
“Cinema is not a classical dance institution,” he argued, adding that actors perform according to a director’s vision rather than aiming to present textbook-perfect classical forms on screen.
The veteran choreographer also revealed that Ananya had trained under him during her appearance at the prestigious Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris, long before entering films. He credited her discipline, stage presence and willingness to learn, saying she approached the performance with sincerity and commitment.
Soparrkar did not stop there. In a fiery defence, he pointed out the irony of social media being flooded daily with heavily “fusionised” dance content that blends classical and western styles often without attracting even a fraction of the criticism now directed at the young actor.
He further accused critics of hypocrisy, suggesting many of the same people attacking Ananya online today would eagerly seek photographs and visibility with her tomorrow.
At the heart of his argument lies a larger question: where should the line between artistic purity and cinematic freedom really be drawn?
For Soparrkar, the answer is simple, art evolves, cinema adapts, and effort deserves encouragement rather than public shaming.
And in the middle of the noise, Ananya Panday has found a powerful voice willing to dance against the tide.
