Interview: Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh in ‘Deli Boys’ and the One-of-a-Kind Crime Comedy

One of the most inventive new series of the year, Deli Boys, created by Abdullah Saeed, follows a Pakistani-American family whose criminal enterprise is put on life support after the untimely death of their millionaire patriarch, Baba. The series premiered on Hulu with ten episodes in March.

At the center of the series is Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh who play brothers Mir Dar and Raj Dar as they are forced to reckon with the consequences of their father’s death. In this conversation, the pair discuss what initially caught their attention about the offbeat crime comedy—from its fresh script to the way it weaves endless humor into a one-of-a-kind crime world. They open up about portraying a brotherly relationship that feels both specific and relatable, and how the show thoughtfully represents the dynamics of a Pakistani-American family through the cultural lens of its creators.

Their enthusiasm for the uniqueness of the series and collaborative spirit of everyone involved from the ensemble cast to the writers, directors, and department heads shows through in our conversation.

Listen to our full conversation with Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, stars of Hulu series Deli Boys below.