What happens when two best friends are pitted against each other, with an intriguing Bollywood twist? That becomes the focus of Netflix’s new film, Best of the Best. Dance has always been a powerful form of expression for South Asian communities, creating a sense of voice and connection across different spaces in the US.

Building on that spirit, Best of the Best brings a unique story filled with plenty of drama, chaos, and rivalry. And the characters are brought to life by an exciting cast, making it worth exploring the actors before the film arrives on Netflix.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Maya: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is well known for her role as Devi in Never Have I Ever. She also previously appeared in Freakier Friday, Slanted, and more films and shows. 

Priyanka Kedia as Anjali: Priyanka Kedia appeared in Everything to Me in 2024. She also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day. 

Hasan Minhaj: Hasan Minhaj is a famed actor and Comedian. He is well known for his show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. 

Chaneil Kular: Chaneil Kular is well known for his roles in Accused and Mutiny. He also appeared in S** Education.

Ankur Rathee: Ankur Rathee has most recently appeared in films like Single Papa and Shehzada.

Shreya Navile, Becky Alex, Nihar Duvvuri, Nico Greetham, Amryn Khurana, Tanishq Joshi, and Lilly Singh are the rest of the cast of the film. The upcoming film follows two childhood best friends, Maya and Anjali, who join UCLA's competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team. However, their journey to win is filled with plenty of emotions, drama, and competition, and much more, which will be revealed on September 18, 2026. 

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Now, the inspiration behind the film is also very interesting.

Best of the Best is co-written by Prasanth Venkataramanujam and Hasan Minhaj. It is inspired by their desire to make something joyful after the emotionally exhausting experience of the Patriot Act. Their idea began as a coming-of-age comedy, and that eventually led to the college dance teams. The film draws from their own experiences attending Bollywood-inspired dance competitions that Minhaj had at the University of California, Davis, and Venkataramanujam at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  “We thought [Best of the Best] could be a love letter to this seminal moment where many people from the South Asian community go to college, and they have this coming-of-age experience where not only their culture is celebrated, but a specific homage to Bollywood dance is celebrated,” Minhaj told Tudum.  

The filmmakers also took tonal inspiration from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, particularly for its approach to coming-of-age romance. Meanwhile, director Lena Khan took inspiration from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It could be a good addition to the rom-coms streaming on Netflix which remains to be seen.

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Will you watch Best of the Best? Let us know in the comments.