Triptii Dimri responds to 'vulgar' dance backlash

'Animal' actor determined to brush off the haters

Triptii Dimri, known for her role as Zoya opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Animal, recently found herself in the eye of a social media storm after her dance performance in the song Mere Mehboob from the film Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video sparked some serious backlash. Fans who adored her in Animal were less than impressed by her dance moves, leading to a wave of criticism across platforms. But the actor responded with grace, acknowledging the feedback but emphasising that mistakes are part of the learning curve.

While the song's vocals and music had some fans grooving, the dance itself was a different story. A vocal group on social media took aim at choreographer Ganesh Acharya, slamming him for what they called "vulgar" and "filthy" dance steps. In today's social media-fuelled outrage culture, this snowballed into harsh criticism not just of the choreography but of Triptii herself. A video of the performance went viral, prompting even more disapproval, with some fans questioning her choices.

An Instagram page went so far as to lament what they saw as Bollywood reducing a talented actor to subpar dance numbers and outfits. The post included a scathing caption that pulled no punches: "I am a big fan of her, and I understand capitalising on opportunities is important, but this is downright disrespectful in the way they are treating her in recent films. Why is she agreeing to all of this? Have you heard this song of Triptii Dimri's?"

The page didn't stop there, pointing out that "Bollywood has reduced her to such disgusting dance steps, outfits, and songs. I don't know why she agrees to do this with no self-respect." And as is typical in these digital takedowns, the comments section wasn't any kinder. Users jumped in with everything from, "This looks so cheap," to the melodramatic declaration, "She has ruined her entire career with one song."

Now, you'd think anyone faced with this kind of feedback might want to crawl into a cave and avoid the internet for a while, but not Triptii. In a recent interview with Mashable India, the actor tackled the backlash head-on, offering a refreshingly candid take on her experience. When asked if she noticed anything problematic with her dance moves during filming, she explained that dancing and acting weren't always her natural inclinations. However, she's fully committed to learning and improving, even if it means making a few missteps along the way.

"As an actor, I'm trying to do different things," she shared. "First, I thought that you only need to know acting to be an actor, and you're sorted. When things got real, I realised that when you're offered shows, you should know how to walk properly. When you get offered a dance number, you should know how to dance well…"

Of course, this isn't the first time Triptii has faced skepticism. Reflecting on an earlier challenge, she recalled being told she couldn't act because her 'eyes couldn't emote' - a criticism that would shake anyone's confidence. "Your body is always giving you signs, I feel. Everybody told me not to do Bulbbul, but I wanted to do it even if I didn't get paid. From that day on, I decided to follow my gut," she said. This commitment to following her instincts, even in the face of doubters, has clearly paid off.

As for the dance number in question, Triptii sees it as part of the journey, not a career-ending disaster. She admitted, "I said, 'I have to try everything'. But one can't be good at everything. But what's wrong in trying? You have to give it your best; you're here now." While she was surprised by the strong reaction to the song, she didn't let it faze her. "It was my first dance number; I haven't really done one like this before. And I didn't think that it would get the kind of response that it's getting. But it's fine; it happens to everybody. There are things that people like, there are things that people don't like. But that doesn't mean that you stop experimenting."