Sonal Mansingh slams Ananya’s Chand Mera Dil Bharatanatyam performance

'Absolute trash'

(IANS)

Renowned Bharatanatyam and Odissi dance exponent Sonal Mansingh has strongly criticised actor Ananya Panday over her Bharatanatyam fusion performance in Chand Mera Dil, calling it ‘absolute trash’ and ‘unacceptable’.

Speaking to ANI amid the ongoing backlash surrounding the performance, Mansingh said the act could not even be described as a proper performance.

“I won’t even call it a performance. I’m sorry. If you can say that Sonal Mansingh performs and Ananya Panday also performs, we can’t say that,’ she said.

A clip from the film has gone viral online, showing Ananya Panday’s character performing Bharatanatyam while co-star Lakshya watches in admiration. The film seemingly intended the sequence to present a modern twist, it has sparked a heated debate on social media, with users flooding the internet with memes and detailed critiques.

Ananya has been receiving severe backlash over her Bharatanatyam fusion performance in Chand Mera Dil.

Sonal Mansingh also rejected claims that the performance represented Bharatanatyam or even a legitimate fusion interpretation of the classical dance form.

“This is not Bharatanatyam, of course not, whatever so-called movement, swinging out and in and all that. I don’t understand,’ she said.

The Padma Vibhushan awardee expressed concern over what she termed the ‘degeneration’ of creative sensibilities in Hindi cinema and accused filmmakers of disrespecting India’s cultural heritage.

“In our country, we ourselves are responsible, whether it is a Hindi film or a Bollywood. I was just watching a dance of Kamala Lakshman from Raj Kapoor’s Chori Chori. It’s unbelievable. People such as Raj Kapoor and others were inviting proper dancers to perform those so-called item numbers,’ she said.

The legendary dancer also referenced celebrated dancers and actors such as Padmini, Waheeda Rehman, Vyjayanthimala, and Sandhya and their contributions to Indian cinema.