Stargazer: Ananya Panday, Meenakshi Seshadiri and Nishesh Basavareddy

Missing the Beat

It was supposed to be a rock and roll version of Bharatanatyam in the movie, Chand Mera Dil, but dance purists are aghast at Ananya Panday’s performance in the film, calling it neither modern nor traditional. In the film, Ananya plays Chandni, the daughter of a Bharatanatyam dancer who is studying in an engineering college in Hyderabad. She falls in love with a fellow student, played by Lakshya. Like the dance, the film is neither romantic enough, nor comedic—just somewhere in the twilight zone of an embarrassing watch.

Back in Business

Meenakshi Seshadri was one of the few bright spots in the wasteland of ’80s Bollywood. She had enormous hits with films like Hero (1983) and Damini (1993). But then she gave it all up for mar­riage and motherhood in America where she ran a dance school. But now Seshadri is back in Mumbai, and at 62, has declared she wants good work, adding that she has no agency to represent her. Given her talent, there are sure to be takers for her authentic self.

Wildcard Wonder

Nishesh Basavareddy is a name tennis fans will remember. The 21-year-old wildcard entry defeated seventh-seeded Taylor Fritz at the French Open, causing quite a stir. Basavareddy, an Indian American, is currently ranked 148 in the world. In 1999, Basavareddy’s parents Sai Prasanna and Muralikrishna moved to the US. In 2022, Basavareddy won the Junior US Open Doubles Championship. He won the love of the crowd at Roland Garros when he spoke in French after the match, a language he had picked up earlier in the year while working with French coach Gilles Cervara.