'World's Best': Where math and hip-hop collide in new Disney+ comedy

PHILADELPHIA -- Debuting Friday on Disney+, the original musical film "World's Best."

It's the story of a middle school student caught between his two loves: math and hip-hop.

The cast says it's a movie with some heartbreak, a lot of hope and a ton of talent.

During research for an assignment, 12-year-old math genius Prem Patel discovers that his late father was a famous rapper.

He then visits his son in his imagination.

"Prem is a math wizard who is pretty shy at first," explains actor Manny Magnus, who plays ''Prem."

"As the story moves forward, he becomes more confident, extroverted."

It is dad who helps boost that confidence, as the voice that guides him.

"Through music and dance and expression, we learn what it really means to be the world's best," says Utkarsh Ambudkar, who plays Prem's father, Suresh.

A real-life rapper and singer, Ambudkar also co-wrote and produced the film. He says he was amazed by Manny's performance.

"You see him shine on every song," Ambudkar says. "It's really cool to see something that I wrote come out of his heart and his voice, and have it be done so well."

Both actors say they loved that this film was so true to their own culture.

"When I was Manny's age, there was nobody that looked like me in a Disney movie or on TV in general," Ambudkar says. "For us to be able to tell the story of a nuclear South Asian family in this way, that's my goal and my dream."

This is a film about standing up for yourself and following your passions in life.

"You don't have to stick to one thing," Magnus says, "just do what makes you happy."

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