As debate continues online over Ananya Panday‘s Bharatanatyam-inspired dance sequence in ‘Chand Mera Dil’, veteran choreographer and dancer Sandip Soparrkar has come out strongly in the actor’s defence. In a pointed Instagram post, Soparrkar called the backlash “absolutely rubbish” and accused the critics of hypocrisy, arguing that cinema has always interpreted classical dance on its own terms.

Sandip Soparrkar calls the criticism ‘rubbish’

Sandip Soparrkar, who has mentored Ananya Panday in the past, took direct aim at what he called the “so-called gatekeepers of classical dance”, accusing them of selectively targeting a young actor for a cinematic performance while staying silent as fusion dance styles became mainstream across reality television and social media.He wrote, “The outrage against Ananya Panday’s Bharatanatyam dance is absolutely rubbish.” He added, “Films are about storytelling, entertainment, and interpretation, not preserving pedagogy textbooks.”Soparrkar argued that the overlap between classical, commercial, and fusion dance has existed for years in popular entertainment, making the current outrage inconsistent at best and hypocritical at worst. “Art evolves. Cinema adapts. Selective outrage and two-faced behaviour need to stop,” he added, directly encouraging Ananya to ignore the criticism and move forward.

What Sandip Soparrkar said about Ananya Panday’s training and dedication

Drawing from personal experience, Sandip Soparrkar recalled his association with Ananya from her Le Bal des Debutantes Paris days, describing her as sincere, disciplined, and hard-working. He emphasised that she had trained seriously for the role and delivered precisely what the filmmakers had envisioned. He urged audiences to appreciate the effort behind such performances rather than publicly shame actors for experimenting with classical forms in mainstream cinema.

About ‘Chand Mera Dil’

‘Chand Mera Dil’ marks the first on-screen pairing of Ananya Panday and Lakshya. Written by Vivek Soni and Tushar Paranjape, the film is based on a story by Soni. It features music by Sachin-Jigar, cinematography by Debojeet Ray, and editing by Prashanth Ramachandran.