Netflix has brought a fresh South Asian coming-of-age story to its audience with Best of the Best, a new comedy built around friendship, identity and the competitive world of collegiate Bollywood-fusion dance.
Directed by Lena Khan, the film stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia as childhood friends Maya and Anjali. Hasan Minhaj, who also co-wrote and produced the movie, appears as Professor Hamza Latif.
The film began streaming on Netflix on September 18, 2026, and draws heavily from the real experiences of its creators and the South Asian college dance community in the United States.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Leads Best of the Best
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan plays Maya, a college student who joins UCLA's competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team with her longtime friend Anjali.
The role reunites Ramakrishnan with director Lena Khan, with whom she previously worked on Never Have I Ever. However, Ramakrishnan has made it clear that the role was not simply handed to her because of her previous success.
The actress auditioned for the part and underwent extensive preparation for the dance-focused film. Her character also reflects several elements of Ramakrishnan's own South Asian identity.
Hasan Minhaj’s Personal Connection to the Film
Hasan Minhaj is one of the key creative forces behind Best of the Best. He co-wrote the screenplay with his longtime collaborator Prashanth Venkataramanujam and also serves as a producer.
Minhaj plays Professor Latif in the film, but his connection to the project extends far beyond acting.
The idea for the movie emerged after Minhaj and Venkataramanujam began discussing a coming-of-age comedy centred on South Asian college students. Their own experiences with collegiate Bollywood dance competitions became a major source of inspiration.
Minhaj attended the University of California, Davis, while Venkataramanujam attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Both had firsthand exposure to the intense dance-team culture portrayed in the movie.
A Story About Bollywood-Fusion Dance
At the heart of Best of the Best is the competitive college Bollywood-fusion dance circuit.
Maya and Anjali join a UCLA dance team with ambitions of reaching the US national championship. However, competition, friendships, personal ambitions and team dynamics soon create complications.
The film uses dance as more than just entertainment. It becomes a way for young South Asian Americans to connect with their culture while navigating life in the United States.
The creators wanted the movie to introduce audiences to a community where students may spend their days studying subjects such as engineering and their evenings participating in intensive dance practices.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s Cultural Identity
Ramakrishnan's personal background also influenced her approach to Maya. The actress has spoken publicly about her Tamil heritage and the importance of representing different South Asian experiences on screen.
The film reflects that diversity rather than treating South Asian identity as a single, uniform culture.
One of the details highlighted in the story is that Maya identifies as Tamil and does not understand Hindi. This reflects the reality that South Asia contains numerous languages, cultures and traditions.
The film therefore uses Bollywood dance as a starting point while also making room for regional identities within the broader South Asian community.
The Koh-i-Noor Becomes Part of the Story
One of the film's more unusual elements involves the Koh-i-Noor diamond. The dance sequence connected to the diamond brings together contemporary choreography and elements of Indian dance.
The inclusion of the Koh-i-Noor also opens a conversation about colonial history and cultural identity.
Hasan Minhaj has discussed the question of what the return of the diamond would actually mean for present and future generations. Rather than treating the issue simply as a historical grievance, the film uses it to raise questions about how young people understand their cultural past.
Priyanka Kedia Shares the Spotlight
Priyanka Kedia plays Anjali, Maya's best friend, and forms the other half of the film's central friendship.
The story focuses on the relationship between Maya and Anjali as they navigate college, dance competitions and their changing ambitions.
Kedia brings another perspective to the film's exploration of South Asian-American identity, while the friendship between the two characters remains central to the emotional side of the story.
Lena Khan Directs the Netflix Film
Lena Khan directed Best of the Best, bringing together comedy, dance, friendship and cultural storytelling.
The filmmaker has described the screenplay as containing several different types of movies within one story, including a dance film, friendship drama and coming-of-age comedy.
Her visual approach combines energetic dance sequences with a youthful style inspired by music videos and contemporary coming-of-age cinema.
The result is a film designed to appeal to audiences familiar with Bollywood while introducing the world of competitive South Asian dance culture to a wider audience.
Best of the Best Now Streaming on Netflix
Best of the Best is now available to stream on Netflix. The film runs for approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes and has a PG-13 rating.
With Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia leading the story and Hasan Minhaj contributing as writer, producer and actor, the movie brings together comedy and cultural representation through the world of college dance.
For viewers interested in Bollywood-inspired choreography, South Asian-American stories and friendship-driven coming-of-age films, Best of the Best offers a different take on the familiar college dance movie formula.
Click here for the latest news from Bollywood, Hollywood, South Film Industry, Bhojpuri and TV world… Click here to join the Facebook Page, Twitter Page, YouTube page, and Instagram of Bollywood Mascot!
Leave a Comment