Archive · 19 Sep 2026
Best of the Best Turns Familiar Dance Film Into Fun
Best of the Best is a comedy about two best friends at UCLA.
Maya and Anjali join a competitive Bollywood dance team called Agni.
Maya wants the team to try new ideas, while its captain, Ronak, prefers a more traditional style.
The friends must deal with competition, romance and pressure from their families.
The movie also asks how young South Asian Americans connect with their culture.
It is funny and full of energetic dancing.
The friendship between Maya and Anjali matters more than winning.
However, quick cuts sometimes make the dancing hard to see clearly.
Lena Khan’s Netflix comedy follows UCLA students competing on a Bollywood dance team.
Best friends Maya and Anjali join Agni after being inspired by its performance.
The film explores rivalry, friendship, family expectations and South Asian American identity.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia anchor the story with energy and charm.
The choreography is appealing, but rapid editing often makes the dance sequences difficult to follow.
- Who
- Maya and Anjali, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia, are the central characters; Ankur Rathee plays team captain Ronak.
- What
- A Netflix comedy about UCLA students competing in a collegiate Bollywood dance competition.
- When
- The story takes place during Maya and Anjali’s first year at UCLA.
- Where
- The film is set primarily at the University of California, Los Angeles.
- Why
- Maya and Anjali join Agni to pursue creative ambitions, find belonging and confront expectations about culture and identity.
- Platform
- Netflix
- Director
- Lena Khan
- Central characters
- Maya and Anjali
- University setting
- UCLA
- Dance team
- Agni
- Music highlight
- A.R. Rahman’s song “Aamaasee”
- Choreography
- Joya Kazi combines Bollywood, kuthu, classical influences and contemporary competitive dance