There’s something beautiful happening in television right now.
When Hollywood decided to build a conscience (or decided that neglecting their non-white demographics was no longer fiscally viable), suddenly a wide array of actors sprouted up in mainstream shows in roles not usually afforded to them earlier. Criticisms from the “anti-woke” mob came quickly, and sidestepping some not-so-subtle racist motivations behind those criticisms, they had a point.
Writers went super heavy-handed in their characterizations of ethnic minorities, resulting in dialogue that can only be described as cringe-worthy. The initial celebration towards diversity and inclusion quickly turned into derision even from within our own ranks. Unsurprisingly, Hollywood missed the point: it wasn’t enough to just shove us in front of a camera in the hopes of ticking off a box, our presence needed to be as meaningful as anyone else on the screen.
Slowly but surely they figured it out, and shows like Abbott Elementary, Kim’s Convenience, Sort Of, and MO led the way to produce a far more interesting landscape. A common denominator — and arguably not a coincidental one — across these shows has been a diversification of talent behind the camera to match the diversity on-camera. Continuing this push forward, Deli Boys, created by Abdullah Saeed, lands on Hulu and Disney+ this week, offering a wild and hilarious ride rooted in authenticity and a love of cinema.
Starring Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Poorna Jagannathan, Alfie Fuller, and Brian George, Saeed drops us into a world of cocaine, convenience store franchises, and family secrets after the Dar patriarch, Baba (Iqbal Theba) suffers an untimely death on the golf course. Across 10 episodes, we follow Baba’s sons, Mir (Ali) and Raj (Shaikh), coming to grips with their grief and discovering that the family business went beyond simply running a chain of convenience stores in Philadelphia.
Filled with culturally specific jokes that find universality, Deli Boys provides a stunning example of work created by a generation brought up on gangster films and broad comedy. Saeed interjects countless direct references and hints to those influences, reconciling them with Pakistani American culture in such a way that many of us third culture kids will recognise. The ensemble cast, led by Ali and Shaikh, fall into this layered world with not only ease, but a palpable excitement.
Mir and Raj represent two sides of the third culture coin: Mir as the go-getter eager to don a puffy vest with WASP-y wunderkinds on the golf course; and Raj, the pot smoking hipster more concerned with aligning his chakra than conforming to any model minority rhetoric. Although we’ve seen derivations of both these archetypes, Saeed, Ali, and Shaikh provide a refreshing reprieve by never making Mir or Raj caricatures of their stereotypes. They play into tropes to be sure, but their shared grief and brotherly love ground the two characters delicately.
While the focus on the Dar family finds the show’s heart and soul, the expansion of the Deli Boys world to include FBI agents (played hilariously by Alexandra Ruddy and Tim Baltz), an Italian crime family (led by Kevin Corrigan as Chickie Lozano), and a rival Vietnamese gang, the Pho Bros, cements the series. By introducing these other characters — and paying them just as much mind as the Dar family — Saeed brings to life a textured show with a variety of interest points. It’s a simple conceit for a sitcom, but one that doesn’t get focused on enough: give audiences multiple reasons to be interested in a story, and who knew? They’ll come back.
There’s something beautiful happening in television right now, indeed, and Deli Boys exemplifies this shift perfectly.
This Family Business is anything but convenient. #DeliBoys premieres March 6 on #DisneyPlusCA. pic.twitter.com/lb6XvwBPF1
— Disney+ Canada 🇨🇦 (@DisneyPlusCA) February 11, 2025
