Everything You Need to Know Before Netflix’s Best of the Best’s Premiere

Netflix is turning up the music, competition, and South Asian drama with its upcoming youth comedy film Best of the Best, arriving on the streaming platform on September 18, 2026. Led by Never Have I Ever breakout star, Maitreyi Ramakrishan alongside newcomer Priyanka Kedia, the movie follows two childhood best friends as they enter the world of collegiate Bollywood-fusion dance. However, between grueling dance rehearsals, family expectations, friendships, and the increasing pressure to win, their college experience is turning out to be more intense than either of them expected. Dive in with EnVi as we go over everything you’ll need to know before the film’s premiere next month!

To Dance or Not to Dance

At the center of Best of the Best are childhood best friends Maya and Anjali, played by Ramakrishnan and Kedia respectively. Entering their first year at UCLA, the pair take their mutual love of dance to the next level when Maya persuades Anjali to audition for the school’s competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team. Their bond is put to the test as the team begins preparing for the U.S. Championship, with the intense competitive environment beginning to affect their friendships, egos, and personal ambitions. 

In a press release from Netflix, Kedia described the atmosphere of the film as feeling “like life and death,” comparing the drama to Dance Moms. Ramakrishnan similarly emphasized the passion behind collegiate Bollywood-fusion dance, noting the energy surrounding the teams were infectious even for those who were not performing.

Helmed by Director Lena Khan, the high energy dance comedy is set to explore the South Asian experience and female friendship as Maya and Anjali discover a new version of themselves. Khan states she was particularly drawn to the screenplay as it managed to balance several stories at once. Audiences can look forward to being thoroughly entertained by the dance sequences, friendship, dynamics, ambition, and emotional coming-of-age story. The film promises a heartfelt look into the ways cultural traditions can become an important source of community and connection while still serving a good laugh.

The Stars on Stage and Screen

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan takes on the role of Maya, one half of the film’s central friendship. Fans will likely recognize the Canadian actress from Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, where she played the outspoken and often chaotic Devi Vishwakumar. Although Maya appears to share some of Devi’s trademark boldness, Ramakrishnan explains there is considerably more beneath her character’s tough exterior. “Maya’s full of spunk. She’s got nerve,” Noting also that “She’s quite combative, but I love her. She’s not just your surface-level hard-ass. She’s vulnerable, and she really just wants to be loved.” Through Maya, Ramakrishnan will explore the life of a young South Asian woman coming into her own and defining her identity. 

Our other half, Priyanka Kedia stars opposite Ramakrishnan as Anjali, Maya’s longtime best friend. While Best of the Best marks a major new opportunity for the young actress, Kedia previously appeared in the 2024 comedy-drama Everything to Me as well as several short films. Navigating her own self-discovery journey, Anjali has spent most of her life fulfilling the expectations placed upon her. By joining the dance team she’s forced to consider what she actually wants in life. “I’ve been her before, and I still am her in small ways,” Kedia says. “I think we’re meeting Anjali on this really beautiful journey where she’s learning who she is outside the roles she’s used to playing — whether that’s the obedient daughter or unconditional best friend.”

Comedian and actor Hasan Minhaj is pulling double duty as both professor Hamza Latif on screen and one of the film’s writers. For this project Minhaj reunited creatively with Prashanth Venkataramanujam, his collaborator on their Netflix comedy series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. The longtime collaborators wanted to create something lighter and more joyful, finally landing on a story surrounding the drama, friendships, cliques, and gossip of the South Asian college experience. Minhaj describes the film as particularly personal, taking inspiration from their own lives they resonated with the story. “[The movie] is a culmination of so many South Asian American kids’ experiences growing up in the United States of America,” he states. “It’s very much a coming-of-age story of the Desi diaspora experience.

The remaining ensemble cast are full of familiar faces from television, film, comedy, and dance. From Ankur Rathee (Four More Shots Please!), Janina Gavankar (True Blood, The Morning Show), to comedian actress Lilly Singh. Joining in on the fun are Sex Education alum Chaneil Kular and Love Victor’s Nico Greetham who notably has a dance background from So You Think You Can Dance and Broadway’s Newsies. With such a stacked cast of talent, buzz for the upcoming film has understandably ramped up.

The film is shaping up to be a spectacular mix of comedy, dance, friendship, and the uniquely chaotic experience of figuring out who you are while simultaneously trying to survive college. Get ready to dance out of your seats on September 18, 2026 when Best of the Best premieres exclusively on Netflix! 

Want to add more upcoming films and shows to your watchlist? Check out our August Premiere Picks round up here!