There is something about college dance movies that still works. Give us a bunch of ambitious youngsters, friendship drama, competition, romance and some big dance numbers, and it is usually an easy watch. Best of the Best, the new English comedy-drama directed by Lena Khan, follows that familiar formula but adds a strong South Asian-American flavour to it.
The film is now streaming on Netflix, with Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia in the lead.
So, is Best of the Best worth adding to your weekend OTT watchlist? Here’s what we thought.
Best of the Best Story
Maya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Anjali (Priyanka Kedia) are long-time best friends who were born and raised together. At UCLA, Maya and Anjali become a part of a competitive Bollywood fusion dance group, whose goal is to reach the national championships in America.
However, as the competition gets real, the relations between the two friends begin to undergo some changes as well. Ambitions, personal choices, romantic relationships and insecurities gradually start testing their long-lasting friendship.
A fun dancing experience at college turns into a much deeper one as Maya and Anjali find themselves trying to understand what they want from life and from each other.
How Is Best of the Best?
The first thing that stands out is the energy. Best of the Best clearly wants to be a fun dance movie, and whenever the film gets onto the dance floor, it becomes much more lively.
The Bollywood-fusion dance setting gives the film its own identity. It isn’t simply another college competition movie with a different soundtrack. The film also spends time looking at South Asian culture in America, family expectations, friendship and the pressure young people sometimes feel to fit into different worlds.
The friendship between Maya and Anjali is really the heart of the film. They have known each other forever, but college changes things. One starts chasing bigger ambitions while the other begins questioning whether she is simply following her friend’s path.
That part works because the conflict doesn’t feel like it is only about winning a dance competition. There is a genuine question underneath it — what happens when two best friends start growing in different directions?
The comedy is fairly light and comes mostly through the characters and college situations. Don’t expect nonstop laughs. The movie is more interested in mixing humour with friendship and coming-of-age emotions.
The film does lose some of its momentum as it moves into the second half, and the nearly two-hour runtime is noticeable in a few places. Still, the dance sequences, colourful presentation and emotional moments keep it moving. Other reviews have similarly highlighted the film’s choreography and South Asian-American coming-of-age angle while noting some unevenness in its later portions.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is given her fair share of screen time playing Maya and pulls off both the funny scenes and the emotional scenes effortlessly. She is an ambitious and opinionated girl who at times is a bit rash in her decision making.
The role of Anjali is played by Priyanka Kedia. The connection that she and the lead character share is amongst the most positive things about the film as the friendship between the characters seems to be the real focus of the film.
Also appearing in other roles include Ankur Rathee, Chaneil Kular, Nico Greetham, Janina Gavankar and Becky Alex.
Dance, Music and Presentation
This is obviously a film where the dance sequences need to work, and thankfully they are one of the main attractions.
The Bollywood-fusion choreography gives the movie plenty of colour and movement. The costumes and energetic performances also add to the overall vibe. The film’s visual style clearly leans into the larger-than-life feel of Bollywood while keeping the story rooted in a contemporary American college setting.
The cultural references are another interesting part. The movie doesn’t completely treat Bollywood dance as just a gimmick; it connects it with identity, family expectations and the experience of young South Asian Americans.
Best of the Best OTT Verdict
While Best of the Best may not revolutionize the genre of dance films set in college life, it definitely has enough elements to distinguish itself as a unique film.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia do a good job carrying the film through, while dance scenes deliver all the entertainment value. The second part of the film could have been more compact, but still there are enough amusing moments to keep one entertained during this weekend’s OTT watch.
In case you are into musical films like Pitch Perfect, Bring It On, Step Up and light coming-of-age films, Best of the Best will be right up your alley.
Final Verdict: Best of the Best is a vibrant college dance comedy drama featuring friendship, determination and Bollywood vibes. Available on Netflix.
