Dancer and choreographer Sandip Soparrkar has come out in support of Ananya Panday amid criticism of her Bharatanatyam-fusion performance in Chand Mera Dil. Calling the backlash “absolutely rubbish”, he said the actor is being unfairly targeted for a performance that was created for a film. Soparrkar has previously mentored Ananya. He argued that the outrage is misplaced and pointed out that dance forms have constantly evolved and adapted to different platforms and audiences. Veteran actress Kalpana Iyer also backed Ananya.
What did Sandip Soparrkar write about Ananya Panday?
In a strongly-worded Instagram post, Sandip Soparrkar posted a photo of Ananya Panday from the classical dance sequence of Chand Mera Dil, and wrote, “The outrage against Ananya Panday Bharatnatyam dance is absolutely rubbish. The same so-called gatekeepers of classical dance who are screaming today were completely silent when reality shows and social media blurred every line between classical, commercial and fusion dance years ago. Suddenly targeting one young actor for a cinematic performance is hypocrisy at its peak.”
He continued, “Ananya trained seriously, worked hard and performed exactly what was envisioned by the director and choreographer for cinema — not for a classical margam on a sabha stage. Films are about storytelling, entertainment and interpretation, not preserving pedagogy textbooks. As someone who has mentored Ananya since her Le Bal des Débutantes Paris days, I can confidently say she has shown sincerity, discipline and grace. Instead of public shaming, people should learn to appreciate effort.”
“Art evolves. Cinema adapts. Selective outrage and two-faced behaviour need to stop. It’s time dance gurus and people stop spreading negativity and learn to appreciate efforts. @ananyapanday don’t bother about this shine on my girl, God Bless you.”
What did Kalpana Iyer write?
To this, veteran actress Kalpana Iyer, who starred in the original rendition of Rambha Ho and recently went viral for her stage performance in the song after the release of Dhurandhar 2, said, “Well said and I completely Agree with You @sandip_soparrkar . I think We should all really Stop This Madness of Judging Everyone and Everything… Please A Young Lady is Going About Her Life and doing Things That She wants to and She is Doing It All as Best as She Can and let’s Support Her and Not Forget she is Young and She is Not claiming Anything.”
Previously, Ananya Panday’s father, Chunky Panday, defended her, stating that one must know the context before judging others.
