Netflix’s latest hit, Best of the Best, is capturing hearts and feet alike with its high-energy look at the cutthroat world of collegiate dance. Directed by Lena Khan and written by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, the film thrusts childhood best friends Maya and Anjali into the raucous arena of UCLA’s competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team as they chase the U.S. Championship. Beyond the high-stakes competition, the movie offers a vibrant exploration of identity, diasporic culture, and the transformative power of art.
A Fusion of Culture and Identity
In this exclusive interview, director Lena Khan sits down with Maria Akhtar from Temple of Geek to discuss her new high-energy dance comedy. At its core, the film portrays North American intercollegiate Bollywood as a dynamic diasporic art form. It brilliantly bridges the gap between South Asian traditions and Western influences, celebrating a unique cultural intersection. This blending extends deeply into the film’s eclectic soundtrack, which weaves together Pakistani music, garba, Kuthu, classic Bollywood tracks, Coke Studio, and Western artists like Labrinth. Brought to life by music supervisor Kier Lehman and remixer Ryan Confrido, the music serves as the beating heart of the characters’ journeys.
Magical Realism and Character-Driven Choreography
The film’s dazzling dance sequences—crafted by choreographers Phillip and Makenzie Chbeeb alongside co-choreographer Joya Kazi—do more than just entertain; they reveal the inner lives of the characters. Director Lena Khan recently shared insights into the creative challenges behind the film’s standout fantasy sequences, noting that the movie “was always more ambitious than its budget was.”
Despite budget constraints that kept the ambitious visual effects up in the air until a week before shooting, Khan fought to infuse true Bollywood-style magical realism into the film. Explaining her vision, Khan shared, “I was like, this is a Bollywood movie, and if there’s anything that Bollywood has, it is escapism and fantasy and that magical realism that tells you what your soul wants.”
Anjali’s dreamscape reflects her personality as a sheltered kid with self-limiting dreams of romance, leaning into classic, transportive tropes where she basks in being the center of attention. In contrast, Maya’s arc centers heavily on external validation versus self-acceptance. To reflect this thematically without relying on cliché crowd reactions, the production utilized mirrors. As Khan explained, “Mirrors became a theme of it, because in mirrors you are always seeing your reflection, and how you conduct yourself is with an eye to how you are perceived.”
Finding Approval Within
The emotional climax of the film reinforces this journey of self-discovery. In the powerful final performance, the characters ultimately dance for themselves rather than for external approval. In a poignant visual metaphor, phone lights replace traditional judges’ scorecards, symbolizing the genuine affirmation that flows outward only after true self-acceptance is achieved.
Best of the Best is streaming exclusively on Netflix, inviting audiences to experience a dazzling celebration of friendship, culture, and rhythm.
