Netflix’s new comedy film Best of the Best has faced criticism online over a dialogue referencing the chaotic evacuation from Kabul following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
The controversy centres on a scene involving Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s character, Maya. While speaking with a friend, Maya says that men “throw themselves at you like you’re the last plane out of Kabul.”
The line has drawn criticism from viewers and members of the Afghan community, who argue that the reference trivialises a traumatic episode in Afghanistan’s recent history. Clips of the scene have circulated widely on social media, prompting calls for Netflix and the filmmakers to respond.
The reference recalls the scenes at Kabul’s airport in August 2021, when thousands of Afghans attempted to leave the country after the Taliban took control of the capital. Images of desperate crowds surrounding departing aircraft, including people clinging to a US military plane, became widely circulated around the world. The airport evacuation was also overshadowed by a deadly Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) attack.
Some social media users have directly criticised co-writer Hasan Minhaj and called on Netflix and the filmmakers to acknowledge the backlash. Critics say the line uses an event associated with real deaths, displacement and fear as a casual joke.
Best of the Best is a coming-of-age comedy about childhood friends Maya and Anjali, who join UCLA’s competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team. The film is directed by Lena Khan and written by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam. It began streaming on Netflix on September 18, 2026.
As of the latest reports, Netflix, Khan and Minhaj had not publicly issued a response specifically addressing the criticism over the Kabul reference.