Netflix's Best of the Best caused a strong reaction online after one joke about the 2021 Kabul evacuation caught viewers' attention. The film follows two childhood friends, Maya and Anjali, as they become part of a Bollywood dance team at UCLA. A line from Maya has now become the main focus of criticism. During a conversation with a friend, Maya says, "Guys throw themselves at you like you're the last plane out of Kabul."
Some viewers, however, feel the joke should not have been used because it refers to a deeply painful time for the people of Afghanistan. In August 2021, thousands went to Kabul airport hoping to leave the country after the Taliban took control. The airport soon became filled with desperate crowds, with some people even seen clinging to moving planes in desperate attempts to escape. A deadly ISIS-K attack at the airport further compounded the tragedy.
One critic wrote to Hasan Minhaj on X, "You should be embarrassed, Hasan Minhaj. Is the funny part the Afghans falling from planes? The terrified families at the airport? The people desperately trying to escape the Taliban? Because 'the last flight out of Kabul' actually happened to real human beings. Our trauma isn't your cheap punchline." Other viewers have also demanded a response from Netflix and the filmmakers.
Best of the Best began streaming on Netflix on September 18, immediately sparking debates across various social media platforms regarding sensitivity in comedy and historical tragedies.