During promotion of her Netflix film Best of the Best, actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan spoke about her profound respect for Shah Rukh Khan, expressing that receiving his approval of her work would be deeply meaningful to her. She described Khan as exceptionally kind and acknowledged the emotional significance of having such an accomplished figure watch her projects.

Ramakrishnan contextualised her admiration within a broader conversation about South Asian representation in entertainment. She emphasised that contemporary projects benefit from decades of groundwork by earlier artists who fought for visibility, and noted that the industry is moving beyond tokenistic roles toward more substantial representation. She stated the field is advancing beyond superficial participation.

Best of the Best, directed by Lena Khan and released on Netflix on September 18, 2026, follows two childhood friends navigating UCLA's competitive Bollywood-fusion dance scene. The ensemble cast includes Hasan Minhaj, Ankur Rathee, Janina Gavankar and others. For Ramakrishnan, the film marks another step in her career since Never Have I Ever concluded in 2023, alongside other recent work including voice acting and animation projects.