Meet the Cast of Netflix’s ‘Best of the Best’ (with Pictures)

Directed by Lena Khan and written by Hasan Minhaj alongside Prashanth Venkataramanujam, Netflix’s comedy film ‘Best of the Best’ dives into the competitive and high-stakes world of collegiate Bollywood dance. The story follows childhood best friends Maya and Anjali as they join their university dance team and navigate cutthroat rivalries on their quest for a national title.

Featuring a dynamic ensemble of comedic talent, accomplished dancers, and seasoned television performers, the production highlights a wide array of South Asian and international stars.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan stars as Maya in the comedy film ‘Best of the Best’. The Canadian actress gained widespread recognition for her breakout lead role as Devi Vishwakumar in the Netflix coming-of-age series ‘Never Have I Ever’. She also voiced the character Priya Mangal in the acclaimed Pixar animated feature ‘Turning Red’. In addition to her television and voice work, Ramakrishnan has appeared in various comedy productions and national television specials. Her role in ‘Best of the Best’ places her at the center of the story as an ambitious collegiate dancer.

Priyanka Kedia

Priyanka Kedia portrays Anjali, Maya’s childhood best friend and dance partner in ‘Best of the Best’. She is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and actress who has gained recognition for her performances in competitive and South Asian dance styles. Kedia has built a dedicated audience through professional dance showcases, digital collaborations, and stage performances. Her casting marks a major feature film acting milestone as she co-leads the narrative alongside Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.

Hasan Minhaj

Hasan Minhaj appears in ‘Best of the Best’ and co-wrote the screenplay alongside Prashanth Venkataramanujam. He gained widespread prominence as a senior correspondent on the satirical news program ‘The Daily Show’ between 2014 and 2018. Minhaj subsequently created and hosted the critically acclaimed Netflix political comedy series ‘Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj’. His additional screen credits include recurring roles on the Apple TV+ drama series ‘The Morning Show’ and the comedy film ‘No Hard Feelings’.

Chaneil Kular

British actor Chaneil Kular joins the ensemble cast of the collegiate dance film ‘Best of the Best’. He is best known for his breakthrough role as Anwar Bakshi in the hit Netflix teen comedy-drama series ‘Sex Education’. Kular received critical praise for his leading performance as Harri in the 2023 British thriller feature ‘Accused’. His other notable television appearances include roles in the BBC drama ‘Doctors’ and the historical drama miniseries ‘Black Narcissus’.

Ankur Rathee

Ankur Rathee appears in ‘Best of the Best’ as part of the collegiate dance world. The Indian-American actor and dancer first gained significant recognition for his role as Arjun Nair in the streaming series ‘Four More Shots Please!’. He has also starred in notable Hindi cinema projects, including the acclaimed drama ‘Thappad’ and the thriller ‘Taish’. With formal training in various dance disciplines including Bollywood, hip-hop, and contemporary, Rathee brings authentic dance proficiency to the project.

Nico Greetham

Nico Greetham appears as part of the ensemble in the Netflix dance comedy ‘Best of the Best’. He first entered the entertainment industry as a top finalist on the reality competition series ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. Greetham later transitioned to acting, portraying Nick Feinstein in the teen drama series ‘Love, Victor’ and Calvin Maxwell in ‘Power Rangers Ninja Steel’. He has also collaborated with Ryan Murphy on multiple projects, including the musical film ‘The Prom’ and the anthology series ‘American Horror Stories’.

Lilly Singh

Lilly Singh is featured as a key cast member in the comedy film ‘Best of the Best’. She initially rose to international fame through her popular comedy sketches on YouTube under the pseudonym IISuperwomanII. Singh later made television history by hosting her own late-night talk show, ‘A Little Late with Lilly Singh’, which ran for two seasons on NBC. Her acting resume includes roles in the comedy film ‘Bad Moms’, the television adaptation of ‘Fahrenheit 451’, and the series ‘The Muppets Mayhem’.

Janina Gavankar

Janina Gavankar brings her versatile acting background to the cast of ‘Best of the Best’. She is well known for her television roles, including Luna Garza in the HBO series ‘True Blood’ and Shiva in the comedy series ‘The League’. Gavankar has also made appearances in mainstream series such as ‘The Morning Show’, ‘Big Sky’, ‘Sleepy Hollow’, and ‘Arrow’. Outside of traditional television, she voiced and performed motion capture for protagonist Iden Versio in the video game ‘Star Wars Battlefront II’.

Saara Chaudry

Canadian actress Saara Chaudry rounds out the featured cast of ‘Best of the Best’. She earned international acclaim for voicing the lead character Parvana in the Academy Award-nominated animated film ‘The Breadwinner’. Chaudry also starred as Martina Crowe in the Disney+ mystery adventure series ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society’. Her performance in the educational series ‘Dino Dana’ earned her multiple Canadian Screen Awards and a Daytime Emmy nomination.

Which actor are you most excited to see take the dance floor in ‘Best of the Best’? Share your thoughts in the comments.