“These boys are as American as they are Desi”: Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Tan France, Poorna Jagannathan and Brian George on Deli Boys
Deli Boys is a sharp, darkly comedic exploration of inheritance and cultural identity, centering on two Pakistani-American brothers whose lives spiral out of control after their father’s sudden death. Created by Abdullah Saeed, the series subverts the traditional immigrant narrative, following Mir (Asif Ali) and Raj (Saagar Shaikh) as they uncover the shocking truth: their father, convenience store mogul Baba (Iqbal Theba), led a secret life as a crime boss. With the guidance of their father’s former lieutenant, Lucky Auntie (Poorna Jagannathan), the brothers navigate the treacherous underworld of his empire, often finding themselves outmatched as they confront formidable rivals, including their father’s longtime associate-turned-adversary, Ahmed (Brian George), and the ruthless and impeccably-dressed South London gangster Zubair (Tan France).
Ahead of the show’s Disney+ premiere, Ali and Shaikh spoke with The Upcoming about how they drew from their own experiences as the youngest and middle child to bring Mir and Raj’s brotherly dynamic to life. They also discussed the nuances of representing South Asian-American identity in the series.
Jagannathan revealed that she studied the stars of The Real Housewives of Orange County and tapped into her own experience as a mother to portray Lucky Auntie’s duality – being both the boys’ only maternal figure and the de facto leader of a crime empire. She also praised the show for approaching cultural identity as an undercurrent rather than the topic.
George joked about the unconventional ways he prepared for his character, the scheming Ahmed, and shared that the atmosphere on set was family-like. He praised the show’s profound approach to second-generation cultural identity and explained how his own upbringing as a child of immigrants influenced his understanding of it.
France, who makes his acting debut as the fearsome mobster Zubair, revealed that he was able to perfect Zubair’s accent from years of watching the soap opera EastEnders and was drawn to the project due to its thoughtful portrayal of the South Asian diaspora.
Christina Yang
Deli Boys is released on Disney+ on 6th March 2025. Read our review here.
Watch the trailer for Deli Boys here:
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