Spending four years of my life at UCLA taught me a lot of valuable lessons, like how to code indifference curves and how to go out yet still show up at a mandatory 8 a.m. lecture. As an Indian woman, I also learned a lot about the South Asian community at UCLA through my friends, my peers, and my own experiences. So when I saw Netflix’s new dance comedy Best Of The Best centered on a South Asian dance team at UCLA, I knew I needed to watch.
Out on Sept. 18, Best of the Best follows two Indian besties Maya and Anjali as they navigate their freshman year at UCLA. Unlike me, though, a big portion of the pair’s experience revolved around joining a competitive Bollywood dance team. After watching Best of the Best, I can definitely say that they were spot on when it came to some details of South Asian culture at UCLA, but there were also a couple of moments that were dramatized for the movie.Â
- UCLA has an amazing — and competitive — dance team.
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In real life, the major UCLA dance team is called Nashaa. Truly, only the best of the best make it on the team after brutal tryouts. During my freshman year, many girls on my dorm’s floor were going through Nashaa tryouts, and the lounge was always occupied with them practicing. One of those girls made it onto the team.
- IMHO, Taco Bell is a real obsession.
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Of course, a Hasan Minhaj movie has to include some South Asian stereotypes. I can confirm that the Taco Bell obsession is true not only at UCLA, but in my experience, more generally. Something about vegetarian-friendly Mexican fast food hits after a long night of dancing. My family routinely hits up the local Taco Bell after wedding receptions, and I’ve had my share of late-night, post-function Taco Bell runs with my Indian friends at UCLA.
- There’s not only one competitive Bollywood dance team at UCLA.Â
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Yes, Nashaa is the most renowned and sought-after, but there are some equally amazing UCLA dance teams that incorporate more of an urban and Bollywood fusion style. Some of these include Taara, ROOT]D, and Jhoomti Shaam. Honestly, I feel like Maya would’ve thrived on a fusion team like Jhoomti Shaam.
- The date night auction isn’t real (as far as I know).Â
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Netflix The date night auction to raise money was a fun idea in the film — besides the potential for embarrassment, like Maya had.Â
- Not everyone’s grades plummet because of the dance team.
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In the film, Anjali had trouble balancing her work with her training on the dance team. I’m sure there have been cases where this is true IRL, but from my own experience, I can assure you that the South Asian community at UCLA takes their studies super seriously. I remember seeing the Nashaa team members coming into the study after practice to grab some late night snacks and do schoolwork until 3 or 4 a.m. It’s possible that people like Anjali exist, who are asking their friends to complete assignments for them because they can’t balance their extracurriculars with school. But for the most part, the South Asian community at UCLA is full of hard working students who prioritize their education.Â
Beyond the friendship breakups and makeups, there were so many scenes in Best of the Best that I could relate to as an Indian UCLA alum. This movie didn’t just bring me some laughs, but also tons of nostalgia from my years in Los Angeles.Â