Best of the Best Netflix: Everything About the Bollywood-Fusion Comedy

If you have noticed "best of the best" trending in India, it is likely due to the release of Best of the Best, a coming-of-age comedy-drama that premiered on Netflix on September 18, 2026 [source]. The film has sparked significant interest in India, with Google Trends recording approximately 1,000 searches and a 75% growth in interest around its launch date [source].

What is 'Best of the Best' About?

The film centers on the high-stakes world of competitive collegiate Bollywood-fusion dance. It follows the journey of childhood best friends Maya and Anjali, who both make it onto the prestigious Bollywood dance team at UCLA. As they navigate the pressures of campus life and rigorous academics, their lifelong friendship is tested as they jockey for lead parts and strive toward a U.S. championship [source].

Cast and Creative Vision

The movie stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as the headstrong and rebellious Maya, and Priyanka Kedia as the poised social butterfly, Anjali [source]. The project was conceived during the lockdown by Patriot Act host Hasan Minhaj and writing partner Prashanth Venkataramanujam, who envisioned it as a South Asian answer to the Step Up franchise [source]. The production reunites Ramakrishnan with director Lena Khan and co-choreographer Joya Kazi, both of whom worked on the hit series Never Have I Ever [source]. Mindy Kaling, who created Never Have I Ever, expressed her support on Instagram, describing Ramakrishnan as a "sparkly person" and stating she was "proud and in awe" of her performance in the film [source].

The Rigorous Path to the Dance Floor

Despite her role as a dance lead, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan has noted that she is not a professional dancer. To prepare for the role, she underwent an intensive four-month training regimen:

• L.A. Boot Camp: Two months of training consisting of six classes a day, six days a week [source].
• New Jersey Training: An additional two months of preparation with the rest of the cast [source].
• Diverse Styles: Her training covered everything from traditional Bharatnatyam and Kathak to contemporary, hip-hop, heels, and groove [source].

Cultural Fusion and Soundtrack

A key draw for the film is its focus on "Bfusion"—the blending of traditional South Asian dance with modern Western styles. This is reflected in the choreography, which mixes Bharatnatyam with "Brooklyn styles" like bone breaking and high-energy Tamil folk dance known as Kuthu [source].

The soundtrack further emphasizes this cultural exchange. One notable sequence features a musical battle between the 1969 Hindi song "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" and the early-2000s hip-hop track "Addictive" by Truth Hurts (produced by Dr. Dre), which famously sampled the original Hindi song [source].