Ananya Panday's on-screen mother Charu Shankar explains that trolled Bharatanatyam scene: ‘Mockery not okay’ | Interview

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Charu Shankar, who played Ananya Panday's mother in Chand Mera Dil, discusses the film's Bharatanatyam element.

There has been a lot of discourse around Ananya Panday and her dancing skills, or lack thereof. A scene from her latest release, Vivek Soni’s Chand Mera Dil, shows her character Chandni perform a fusion classical dance – a mix of Bharatanatyam, hip-hop, and locking. Everyone from classical dance exponents to writers has chipped in to either criticise or defend her. Charu Shankar, who plays her mother, Nivedita, also a dancer in the film, tells Hindustan Times about everything that went into creating these characters and the thought process behind the much-criticised scene.

Charu Shankar plays Ananya Panday's mother in Vivek Soni's Chand Mera Dil.

Charu Shankar on training in Bharatanatyam

In Chand Mera Dil, Charu’s Nivedita is a single mother who rebuilds her life from scratch after her husband leaves. “She used dance to recreate a life for herself and her daughter with dignity, discipline and grace,” explains the actor, adding, “That resilience sits at the core of who she is. Outwardly, she is always elegant and composed- the sarees, the stylised hand gestures, the calm way in which she speaks. But when it comes down to it, she is deeply formidable.”

Charu also reveals that it took months of training to get the character’s nuances right. “I trained for months with Bharatanatyam teacher, Suhail Bhan, learning mudras, abhinaya, nattuvangam, jatis in Adi Taalam, even how to teach a Bharatanatyam class, because I wanted dance to exist in Nivedita unconsciously. I wanted her spine, her gaze, her hands, even the way she wore silence, to feel like someone who had lived with classical dance for decades. I chose to discover my character through Bharatanatyam.”

Ananya Panday and Charu Shankar bonded over dance while filming Chand Mera Dil.

Bonding with Ananya Panday through dance

In Chand Mera Dil, dance becomes a shared secret language between Nivedita and Chandni, says Charu. And in real life, she was also finding her groove with Ananya through dance. “Both Ananya and I were deeply committed to this process, and we really bonded through it. The fact that both of our characters are dancers became psychologically very important to me. I felt that her daughter inherits not just an art form from Nivedita, but also resilience, dignity, and courage,” says the actor.

In fact, Ananya’s much-mocked scene was integral to her character’s introduction, says Charu. “I think everyone is entitled to their opinion, but trolling is never in good taste. Conversations around art are valid. Mockery is not,” she says, adding, “The sequence being discussed was always conceived as a contemporary, edgy breakout introduction for Chandni’s character. In the film's visual storytelling, this moment announces the arrival of a young woman who is not afraid to break the rules.”

In fact, the actor notes that dance helps Nivedita and Chandni carry on amid unfair domestic realities. “They speak up. They take a stance. They walk away when they need to. There’s tremendous strength there. Their artistry becomes part of how they survive, how they process pain, and eventually, how they reclaim themselves. I loved this aspect of the script,” she rounds off.