Best of the Best

This weekend, TikTok won. After my For You page flooded with Indian dance montages and passionate, in-depth reviews of Best of the Best, I gave in and watched the film myself (mostly so the algorithm would leave me alone). This new Netflix original directed by Lena Khan and written by Hasan Minhaj, follows Maya (played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who starred in Never Have I Ever) and Anjali (played by Priyanka Kedia), two freshmen who join UCLA's competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team, UCLA Agni. Having performed Indian dance (Bhangra) for over seven years, I found the movie resonated deeply with me. I kept drawing parallels between the team's journey and my own: the thrill of encouraging teammates backstage before stepping into the spotlight, the troubleshooting (and heated arguments) over the artistry of a choreography, and even the constant balance between dance and academics. With that strong connection in mind, I wanted to look at what Best of the Best did well and where it could have improved.

The film's greatest strength is how honestly it captures the microculture of South Asian competitive dance teams. While I haven't experienced this firsthand (as my team has been very close-knit), I've witnessed similar dynamics on my friends' high school and college Bollywood dance teams. Peers often weigh traits unrelated to dance ability when building choreographies, coordinating leads and visuals, or even deciding who makes it past auditions. Physical attractiveness in particular often creates these toxic environments, where pretty privilege determines who shines in the spotlight and who gets left behind, especially with South Asian girls. The movie doesn't shy away from unearthing this reality. Even though Maya's talent is obvious from the start when she boldly challenges the captains' authority and suggests choreography changes, Anjali is nevertheless prioritized for her undeniable attractiveness and how well she pairs with Ronak, the equally handsome male lead. The flashbacks to their childhood also add real depth to this story. During an argument between the two friends, a montage of old home videos shows Anjali receiving praise and attention from aunties, men, and the broader community simply for her looks. In that moment, Anjali finally understands what it has meant for Maya to be the "conventionally less attractive" friend her whole life. The film accurately conveys how this favoritism persists into collegiate life, a phenomenon that runs through both American and Indian cultures. Bollywood itself has spent decades centering leads to be conventionally beautiful, so it isn't surprising these standards persist within South Asian youth in American settings.

The movie also does a wonderful job portraying the challenge of beginning college while juggling a time-consuming extracurricular and navigating conflict between friends, family, and romantic interests. Anjali, an arguably average student, fights the battle between a demanding collegiate dance team and the pressure of a new environment carrying rigorous peer expectations, nonstop activity, and new relationships. Maya, an exceptional student, has to navigate the dance team's toxic dynamics, how her own personality fits in with very different people, and Anjali—her own best friend—becoming caught up in the thrill of a new life. Both of them leave the team at some point, which seems to be an accurate portrayal of the realities of college.

Despite the film's beauty, it still contains flaws, starting with its portrayal of Bollywood-fusion dance. Kudos to the production team for capturing the atmosphere of these competitions: dancers rushing across the stage, music remixes following the storyline of each performance, and a consistent theme woven throughout. But nearly every choreography leans heavily on hip-hop, with Indian elements layered thinly on top. Real DDN (Desi Dance Network) teams draw on a much wider range of styles, like Bhangra, Bharatanatyam, and Kuthu. They keep Indian dance as the foundation and simply add forms like hip-hop as the "cherry on top." The film completely reverses that, and the authenticity seems to decline because of it. I noticed this most in the opening performance, which abruptly shifts from Bharatanatyam into a heavy American style, overshadowing the traditional dance entirely. Since that opening sets up the film's cultural context, burying Bharatanatyam so quickly felt out of place. It's also strangely ironic the leads are not even visible in many of their performances, since they're the ones who should be carrying the routine visually. The result still feels South Asian, but it's less representative of real DDN teams, especially important for a movie built around representation and cultural appreciation.

Additionally, the pacing felt rushed, which, inevitably, left key relationships underdeveloped. Rekha, Anjali's mother, appears only on move-in day, midway through when she scolds Anjali about getting her grades up, and at the end when she finally supports her, so their reconciliation feels extremely disjointed. I do wish the movie took a more original twist though, so I wasn't watching it thinking, "This is similar to Pitch Perfect, only South Asian style!"

Overall, Best of the Best is a beautiful and inspiring film that will resonate with young dancers everywhere. I highly recommend it, though fair warning: you may acquire a newfound sense of motivation to audition for your school's Bollywood dance team.