Mindy Kaling Praises Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in 'Best of the Best'

Mindy Kaling publicly supported Maitreyi Ramakrishnan on September 19, 2026, just one day after the Netflix release of *Best of the Best*. The endorsement arrived via Instagram, where Kaling shared a photograph of herself embracing the lead actress alongside the film's official trailer. In her commentary, Kaling described Ramakrishnan as a "sparkly person," a sentiment that highlighted her personal pride in the actress’s lead performance. Beyond the individual praise, Kaling noted that the film’s specific content—centered on high-energy, technical dance sequences—was infectious enough to make her want to dance herself.

This public acknowledgment serves as a notable cross-industry nod, connecting Kaling’s established presence in the comedy landscape with Ramakrishnan’s latest project. The timing of the post, occurring within twenty-four hours of the film’s debut, underscores the visibility of the production as it hit the streaming platform.

Production History and Platform Shifts

The trajectory of *Best of the Best* involved a significant transition between major studios, a move that often alters the development cycle of a feature film. Originally developed under the working title *For The Culture*, the project was initially housed at Amazon MGM. During this early phase, the foundational elements of the script and creative vision were established before the project shifted to Netflix for its eventual distribution.

Physical production for the film took place in New Jersey. The cameras rolled from July 28, 2025, and continued through September 11, 2025. This six-week shooting schedule in the Garden State provided the backdrop for the film’s depiction of collegiate dance life. The casting process, which brought together a diverse ensemble, was managed by Bernie Telsey and Kristian Charbonier. Their work resulted in a cast that balances established comedic actors with a large, rotating group of performers tasked with executing the film's complex dance choreography.

Plot and Collegiate Dance Focus

The narrative of *Best of the Best* functions as a comedy-drama, focusing on the high-stakes world of competitive collegiate Bollywood-fusion dance. This subgenre of dance requires precision, athleticism, and a specific stylistic blend that serves as the engine for the film’s pacing. The story centers on the relationship between two childhood best friends, Maya and Anjali.

Maya, portrayed by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Anjali, played by Priyanka Kedia, navigate the pressures of university life through the lens of their shared ambition. Their goal is to join a specific UCLA dance team, a move that pits them against rival squads as they vie for a U.S. championship title. The film relies on this competitive framework to explore themes of friendship, loyalty, and the physical demands of elite-level fusion dance. By grounding the comedy in the technical rigors of dance rehearsals and competition, the screenplay, penned by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, attempts to capture the specific intensity of the collegiate dance circuit.

Ensemble Cast and Character Dynamics

The film relies on a large ensemble cast to populate the world of competitive dance and collegiate dynamics. Hasan Minhaj, who also serves as a writer, appears in the film, providing a bridge between the creative output behind the scenes and the performance in front of the camera. The team dynamic is further bolstered by a wide range of actors who fill out the ranks of the dance competitors.

The full cast list reflects the scope of the production:

• Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Maya
• Priyanka Kedia as Anjali
• Hasan Minhaj
• Lilly Singh
• Janina Gavankar
• Ankur Rathee
• Nico Greetham
• Amryn Khurana
• Saara Chaudry
• Becky Alex
• Chaneil Kular
• Nihar Duvvuri
• Sasha Bhasin
• Shreya Navile
• Tanishq Joshi

The inclusion of performers like Lilly Singh and Janina Gavankar adds to the film’s comedic tone, while the presence of dancers and actors such as Nico Greetham and Amryn Khurana suggests an emphasis on the physicality required by the choreography. The balance between these performers is essential for the film’s success, as the plot necessitates a functional, convincing dance team environment that can sustain the viewer’s belief in their pursuit of a national title.

Artistic Direction and Creative Vision

The creative leadership of director Lena Khan is central to the realization of the film’s fusion-dance aesthetic. Khan’s direction manages the transition between the character-driven moments of Maya and Anjali’s friendship and the high-energy performance sequences. The visual language of the film, particularly during the dance segments, requires a specific approach to editing and cinematography to ensure that the choreography remains legible and engaging to the audience.

The writing team, composed of Minhaj and Venkataramanujam, focused on the specific vernacular and social hierarchies of collegiate dance teams. By focusing on the "Bollywood-fusion" aspect, the screenplay taps into a niche but highly active cultural space. The shift in studios from Amazon MGM to Netflix did not appear to disrupt the project’s core focus on this competitive landscape, as the final product maintains a consistent tone throughout its runtime.

Reception and Public Engagement

Mindy Kaling’s endorsement represents a specific type of industry support that can influence how a film is perceived upon release. Her vocal pride in Ramakrishnan’s performance acts as a bridge for fans of their previous collaborations, signaling that *Best of the Best* shares some of the same sensibilities. When Kaling mentions that the film makes her want to dance, she is speaking to the visceral appeal of the choreography—a key element of the film’s marketing and audience reception.

The social media interaction between Kaling and Ramakrishnan, documented on September 19, 2026, serves as the relationship between the two figures. For the audience, this endorsement acts as a shorthand for the film's tone and quality. By highlighting the "sparkly" nature of the performance, Kaling provides a specific descriptor that differentiates Ramakrishnan’s work here from her previous roles.

Technical Execution of Dance Sequences

The dance sequences serve as the primary spectacle of the film. Given the competitive nature of the plot, the choreography needed to feel authentic to the U.S. collegiate dance scene. This requires a level of coordination among the ensemble cast that goes beyond standard acting requirements. The training period for the actors, which preceded the production start date in late July 2025, would have been intensive to ensure that the Bollywood-fusion style—a demanding blend of traditional and contemporary movements—was executed with the required precision.

The ensemble includes a mix of actors with varying degrees of professional dance experience, necessitating a rigorous schedule to bring everyone to the same level of proficiency. The final sequences in the film, intended to represent the U.S. championship, rely on this collective effort. The involvement of directors and writers who understand the cultural context of these competitions likely contributed to the film’s ability to depict the high-pressure environment of collegiate dance without relying on common tropes or oversimplification of the dance styles involved.

The transition from the initial development phase at Amazon MGM to the final distribution on Netflix suggests that the film’s commercial potential was recognized early, even as it found a new home for its final release. The September 2026 release date placed the film in a window where it could capitalize on the late-summer streaming audience, providing a platform for the large ensemble cast to showcase their work. By the time the film reached its audience, the combination of the cast’s performance, the directorial vision, and the industry support from peers like Kaling helped establish its presence within the competitive landscape of streaming releases.

References

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2. 2Mindy Kaling calls Maitreyi Ramakrishnan 'sparkly' as 'Best of ...
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6. 6Cinema Spot's post - Facebook