Best of the Best film faces backlash for mocking Afghanistan crisis, viewers question Kabul joke

Best of the Best. Pic via YouTube

Netflix's new comedy Best of the Best has found itself at the centre of an online debate after a dialogue referencing the 2021 Kabul evacuation drew criticism from viewers. The film, directed by Lena Khan and co-written by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, features the line during a conversation involving Maitreyi Ramakrishnan's character, Maya.

Best of the Best dialogue sparks criticism

The film began streaming on Netflix on September 18 and follows childhood friends Maya and Anjali as they join UCLA's competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team. While the story explores friendship, sisterhood and the South Asian American experience, one particular joke has shifted attention towards the film's handling of a traumatic real-world event.

In the scene, Maya describes the attention she receives from men by saying, "Guys throw themselves at you like you're the last plane out of Kabul."

The reference immediately struck a nerve with some viewers, who took issue with the use of the 2021 evacuation as a casual comparison. Social media users pointed towards the desperate scenes witnessed at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, where thousands attempted to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power.

One critic wrote, "Making a mockery of one of the tragic days in Afghanistan's history is utterly disgusting." The user went on to question whether the humour was meant to refer to "the Afghans falling from planes," the families at the airport or people desperately trying to escape the Taliban, concluding, "My people's trauma is not for you to entertain and mock."

Another viewer said, "That's just disgusting. This show should be cancelled." People also criticised it, saying the decision to include the line in a comedy centred on South Asian culture, while others called on Netflix and the filmmakers to respond to the backlash.

Why the Kabul reference has become controversial

The criticism stems from the events of August 2021, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and a chaotic evacuation followed. Images from Kabul showed huge crowds attempting to reach departing aircraft, including people clinging to a US Air Force plane. The evacuation was further overshadowed by an ISIS-K suicide bombing near the airport that killed civilians and US service members.

For several viewers, the recency and severity of those events made the reference particularly uncomfortable. Some argued that the experiences of Afghans fleeing the Taliban should not be used as a comedic device, while others questioned the filmmakers' choice of comparison.

Best of the Best stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia as Maya and Anjali, with Hasan Minhaj, Ankur Rathee, Janina Gavankar and Chaneil Kular also featuring. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.