The Reel Review
When two longtime best friends join the competitive Bollywood Fusion Dance Team at UCLA in the hopes of winning the elusive national championship, they end up learning some valuable lessons about friendship along the way. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia star in this coming-of-age dance dramedy.
Working from a clever, quippy screenplay, director Lena Khan keeps the pacing fast-paced and fun in this lighthearted, dance routine-filled comedy that takes a few serious turns when each of the besties starts taking the other for granted. The onscreen chemistry between Ramakrishnan and Kedia helps sell the twisty tale that, with its ensemble cast, feels like a mashup of Bring It On and Pitch Perfect, just with a uniquely Indian/Bollywood flair.
At times the predictable story does drag a bit, but with fun nods to Bollywood culture, the two winsome leads carry the film to a sweet and even emotional finale.
REEL FACTS
• Best of the Best was an actual highly prestigious collegiate South Asian dance championship held from 2005 to 2012.
• Canadian Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s big break was as the leading role in the 2020 Netflix teen comedy series Never Have I Ever. She has also appeared in the 2025 films Slanted and Freakier Friday.
• Best of the Best is Priyanka Kedia’s first feature film leading role. She recently appeared as a scientist in director Steven Spielberg’s 2026 sci-fi/thriller Disclosure Day.
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