Hasan Minhaj on South Asian Representation, Bollywood & Koh-i-Noor | Maitreyi Ramakrishnan | Excl

In an exclusive conversation with India Today’s Bhavna Agarwal (@filmybugB), Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Priyanka Kedia and Hasan Minhaj open up about their new film Best of the Best, South Asian representation, Bollywood influences, romance, comedy and the stories that diaspora audiences rarely get to see on screen. Hasan Minhaj discusses the importance of bringing joy, love and humour into South Asian diaspora storytelling. “Joy, love, humor, for us, in American cinema, can also be a political act in and of itself,” he says, explaining why stories about immigrant communities need not always revolve around political struggle or serious social issues. The conversation also touches upon the film’s exploration of South Asian identity, Bollywood’s influence on cinematic storytelling, dream sequences and a key sequence involving the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Hasan reflects on moving beyond colonial grievances and finding ways for communities to assert self-respect on their own terms. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia also discuss the film, its characters, romance, comedy and what it means to see South Asian experiences represented through warmth, celebration and everyday human connections. Best of the Best releases on Netflix on September 18. Watch the full exclusive conversation with Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Priyanka Kedia and Hasan Minhaj, only on India Today.