Overview:
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Maya and Anjali find their bond tested when competition surfaces long-standing insecurities, hidden resentments, and unresolved friction.
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The movie weaves together South Asian heritage, campus life, dance showdowns, and familial pressures into a classic coming-of-age narrative.
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A touching conclusion reunites Maya and Anjali, delivering a sense of resolution for both their relationship and individual paths.
‘Best of the Best’, directed by Lena Khan and penned by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, centers on lifelong friends Maya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Anjali (Priyanka Kedia) as they start at UCLA aiming to leave past high school embarrassments behind. They try out for Team Agni, a spirited Bollywood-fusion dance squad, though what initially feels like an opportunity to redeem themselves quickly strains their connection.
Still haunted by a disastrous high-school routine that earned her the cruel moniker ‘Drone Strike girl,’ Maya is desperate to rebrand her image and pushes Anjali to audition alongside her. As the troupe trains for the national collegiate dance contest known as ‘Best of the Best,’ Maya throws herself entirely into the pursuit of victory.
Meanwhile, Anjali faces her own hurdles, juggling strict academic expectations from her mother while getting deeper into team activities and growing closer to the troupe’s captain, Ronak (Ankur Rathee).
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia Lead the Cast
Ramakrishnan infuses Maya with abundant vitality, yet the character’s deep-seated insecurities take center stage as the plot unfolds. Maya’s loud and competitive demeanor largely stems from years of perceiving Anjali as the effortlessly popular and favored friend.
Conversely, Kedia portrays Anjali with a gentler touch, suiting a person who initially seems to enjoy an effortless lifestyle. Gradually, the narrative reveals that she, too, wrestles with parental pressures and internal doubts about her true desires.
Chaneil Kular adds charm as Arjun, Maya’s love interest, while Rathee plays Ronak as a self-assured captain whose personal ambitions occasionally clash with team interests. Hasan Minhaj delivers comedic relief in the role of Professor Latif, the faculty mentor constantly caught navigating the students’ interpersonal and professional disputes.
The Lead Twist that Changes the Friendship
The core fracture in their friendship occurs when Maya uncovers that she originally won the vote for the team’s female lead, only for the outcome to be quietly altered in Anjali’s favor.
After overhearing this exchange, Maya decides against confronting Anjali immediately. Matters escalate when Anjali’s academic struggles jeopardize her team status. Though asked to assist with a school assignment, Maya neglects to follow through, landing Anjali on academic probation and forcing her to step away from dancing.
The tension finally boils over when Maya exposes the vote manipulation regarding the lead role. Years of suppressed grievances flood out: Maya admits to feeling like the hardworking friend who receives little recognition, whereas Anjali charges Maya with treating everything like a contest. The fallout destroys their bond, prompting Maya to quit Agni as well.
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Arjun’s Relationship with Maya Takes a Hit
Maya’s obsessive drive to prove herself also strains her romance with Arjun. A circulating party video falsely suggests a romantic connection between Maya and Ronak, leaving Arjun deeply hurt.
Although they clear up the misunderstanding later on, the subplot highlights a central theme of the movie: Maya expends so much energy chasing outside approval that she fails to appreciate the support already surrounding her.
Ultimately, the romance remains secondary to the core emotional anchor of the movie—the friendship between Maya and Anjali.
The Koh-i-Noor Twist in the Finale
Following their eventual return to the troupe, Maya and Anjali secure another chance to share the stage at nationals. Abandoning the predictable wedding-themed routine favored by Ronak, Maya devises a bolder concept centered on the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
The choreography depicts the squad recovering and ultimately shattering the diamond so its shards can be distributed, transforming a symbol of colonial rule into a shared asset. This concept infuses the climax with cultural and political resonance without overwhelming the plot.
An unexpected power outage threatens the performance, but instead of panicking, Maya and Anjali default to the dance routine they mastered together years prior. For Maya, it serves as a full-circle redemption, letting her perform freely without the shadow of past humiliation.
Agni secures the national title, and Maya and Anjali mend their friendship. Furthermore, Maya reconciles with Arjun, while Anjali’s dynamic with Ronak remains open-ended.
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Final Verdict
‘Best of the Best’ sticks to a well-worn college dance-comedy formula, yet its emphasis on camaraderie, South Asian culture, and the hurdles of coming of age grants it a distinct identity.
Ramakrishnan and Kedia anchor the production, shining brightest when Maya and Anjali’s rapport begins to fray. The movie excels most when granting its leads room to be genuinely flawed rather than casting either as a villain.
While the dance numbers are high-energy, the choreography can be inconsistent, and certain plot points wrap up a bit too neatly. Even so, the closing performance delivers the emotional payoff the narrative builds toward.
Though it may not reinvent its genre, ‘Best of the Best’ is an upbeat, humorous, and culturally grounded coming-of-age feature that recognizes the ultimate prize is not a trophy, but discovering what—and who—truly matters.
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FAQs
1.What is ‘Best of the Best’ about?
‘Best of the Best’ follows childhood friends Maya and Anjali as their friendship faces pressure from dance competitions, personal insecurities, family expectations and changing ambitions during college.
2.Who stars in ‘Best of the Best’?
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan plays Maya, while Priyanka Kedia portrays Anjali. The cast also includes Chaneil Kular, Ankur Rathee and Hasan Minhaj in supporting roles.
3.What happens between Maya and Anjali?
Their friendship breaks down after Maya discovers that the female lead vote was changed in Anjali’s favour, bringing years of resentment and insecurity to the surface.
4.What happens in the ending of ‘Best of the Best’?
Maya and Anjali reunite for the national competition, perform together despite a power outage, and ultimately repair their friendship after their emotional dance performance.
5.Is ‘Best of the Best’ worth watching?
‘Best of the Best’ offers an energetic mix of comedy, friendship, dance and South Asian identity, supported by engaging performances from Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia.
