'Why target her?': Shobhaa De defends Ananya Panday amid ‘Nepo Natyam’ criticism over ‘Chand Mera Dil’s Bharatanatyam fusion dance

Ananya Panday has found herself at the centre of online debate after a Bharatanatyam fusion sequence from ‘Chand Mera Dil’ went viral on social media. While some internet users mocked the performance by calling it “Nepo Natyam,” author and columnist Shobhaa De has now come out strongly in support of the actress. Reacting to the backlash, Shobhaa questioned why Ananya alone was being targeted for a performance that was conceptualised by an entire creative team.

Sharing her thoughts on Instagram, Shobhaa De pointed out that Ananya is not a professionally trained Bharatanatyam dancer and argued that criticism should also include the makers and choreographers behind the sequence. “She’s not a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, and if you have to call out anyone, shouldn’t it be the choreographer and the director? Why target her?” she said. The columnist also stressed that actors are often expected to perform difficult art forms despite having no formal training in them.


Speaking further about the demands placed on performers in the film industry, Shobhaa explained that actors are regularly pushed beyond their comfort zones for the sake of a scene or song.



“Not just her, I feel there’s an incredible amount of pressure on our young stars and even the older stars, most of whom were not trained classical dancers but were expected to perform classical dances or fusion dances or modern dances, any kind of dance that the director thought was needed for a sequence,” she stated.


She also highlighted how challenging acting performances can be, especially when artistes are expected to dance, emote and lip-sync flawlessly on screen.

Defending actors further, Shobhaa added, “They did it, they lip-synced, they danced, they showed expressions. Is all that easy? It’s not easy at all. How many Hollywood stars do you know? How many big international stars have to do all of this and look amazing and look fabulous and look in love for the film, for whatever the performance demands?”

Addressing the trolling directed at Ananya, she said online audiences often react without understanding the full context of a scene. “I haven’t watched the film, I’ve seen clips, but to be constantly trolled and called ‘Nepo Natyam’, it sounds cute, but she has tried,” she remarked.


What sparked the controversy?

In ‘Chand Mera Dil’, Ananya plays Chandni, the daughter of a Bharatanatyam dancer. One of the film’s sequences features her performing a fusion routine combining Bharatanatyam-inspired movements with hip-hop and locking styles during a reunion event. The act appears twice in the narrative and leaves Lakshya’s character Aarav mesmerised.

The film marks the first on-screen pairing of Ananya Panday and Lakshya. Before this, Ananya appeared in ‘Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri’ alongside Kartik Aaryan, while Lakshya was recently seen in ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, created by Aryan Khan.

Who is Shobhaa De

Shobhaa De, born as Shobha Rajadhyaksha, is a renowned Indian novelist, columnist, and former model known for her fearless writing style and sharp social commentary. Popularly dubbed the “Jackie Collins of India,” she has earned recognition for portraying the glamorous yet complex world of urban elites, relationships, and high society with honesty and boldness.