Cast of Deli Boys: Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh & Full Cast

Deli Boys brings Pakistani-American voices to Hulu’s comedy lineup—a crime-comedy about two brothers who inherit their father’s convenience-store empire, only to discover it’s actually a front for organized crime. With a South Asian-led ensemble rarely seen in American streaming, the show earned a season 2 renewal just months after its March 2025 premiere.

Premiere Date: March 6, 2025 · Platform: Hulu · Creator: Abdullah Saeed · Main Stars: Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh · Episodes Season 1: 10

Key production credits and cast details are summarized in the table below.

Who is in the cast of Deli Boys?

Deli Boys assembles a predominantly South Asian ensemble, which is notable given how rarely that demographic leads American network comedies. The show’s central casting call was finding two brothers with strong comedic chemistry and distinct energies — and the production landed exactly that with Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh.

Main cast members

Asif Ali plays Mir Dar, the elder brother who is hardworking and desperately wants to earn his father’s approval. According to Wikipedia’s series entry, Mir’s whole identity is wrapped up in being the “good son” — until Baba’s death forces him to confront everything he thought he knew.

Saagar Shaikh co-stars as Raj Dar, the younger brother who is perfectly content smoking weed and living off family wealth without contributing anything. Screen Rant’s cast guide notes that Shaikh was born on November 29, 1986 in Alief, Texas, and has been working in entertainment since 2012. He previously played Kamala Khan’s older brother Aamir in Marvel productions.

Poorna Jagannathan takes on the role of Naveeda “Lucky” Dar, described as Baba’s closest confidante and a natural leader within the family enterprise. This character operates as something of an aunt figure to the brothers while also being their father’s most trusted associate.

Alfie Fuller plays Prairie, Raj’s personal shaman who is characterized as an afrofuturist hipster. It’s a quirkier casting choice that speaks to the show’s willingness to populate its world with oddballs and outliers.

For those interested in ensemble casts featuring South Asian talent in American streaming, Cast of Train Dreams: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones & Full List explores similar representation themes in film.

Supporting roles

Brian George plays Ahmad, described by Wikipedia as a striver who is always angling for the top position at DarCo. He has a “cordial hatred” relationship with Lucky, according to reviews from Omnivorous Substack.

Iqbal Theba appears as Arshad “Baba” Dar, the patriarch whose sudden death in the pilot (struck by a stray golf ball on a family golf trip, per Wikipedia) sets the entire plot in motion. Theba plays the deceased father primarily through flashbacks and photographs, giving him an almost mythological presence throughout the season.

The supporting cast expands with recurring characters including Kevin Corrigan as Chickie Lozano (an Italian American crime boss), Tim Baltz as FBI Regional Director Simpson, and Alexandra Ruddy as Agent Mercer, an ambitious FBI agent. Zainne Saleh plays Bushra (Mir’s fiancée), Sakina Jaffrey plays her mother Seema, and Amita Rao appears as Nandika, a cosplayer with a crush on Raj.

Comparable streaming comedies with ensemble casts are documented in Cast of Until Dawn Film – Actors, Roles and Production Guide.

Guest appearances

Anish Jethmalani and Minita Gandhi play Patika and Latika, a couple who own an Indian restaurant — kindhearted recurring presences in the show’s world.

Cast of Deli Boys season 2

Season 2 was officially announced in May 2026, following the positive critical reception to season 1. The premiere date is set for May 28, 2026, per Wikipedia.

Confirmed returning cast

Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Poorna Jagannathan, and Alfie Fuller are all expected to return as their respective characters. The brothers will presumably need to figure out how to actually run DarCo without their father’s guidance — or oversight.

New additions

Fred Armisen has joined the cast in season 2, though Wikipedia notes his specific character details have not yet been released. Armisen’s comedic background suggests he’ll bring absurdist energy to whatever role the show assigns him.

Updates on emerging cast additions for streaming series are tracked at Cast of Until Dawn Film – Actors, Roles and Production Guide.

Is there going to be a season 2 for Deli Boys?

Yes — Deli Boys was renewed for a second season in August 2025, five months after its August 2025 premiere. The renewal came as the show was completing its first-season run on Hulu.

Release date

Season 2 is confirmed to premiere on May 28, 2026, on Hulu. This gives the production roughly 14 months between season finales and the new premiere — a fairly standard development window for streaming comedy series.

What to expect

Without spoiling season 1’s ending, the brothers will face continued pressure from the FBI investigation into DarCo’s operations. The FBI documents in the pilot that DarCo has a “two-decade history of tax fraud and other white-collar crimes,” per Wikipedia. Season 2 will likely see Mir and Raj either dismantling that legacy or attempting to continue it under new management.

Is Deli Boys worth watching?

The answer depends heavily on what you want from a streaming comedy in 2025. Deli Boys occupies an unusual space: it’s genuinely funny, but the humor comes wrapped in criminal enterprise logistics and family trauma. It’s not a pure laugh-track comedy, nor is it a prestige drama.

Pros and cons

The implication is that viewers who can tolerate genre hybridity will find the most rewarding experience, while those expecting pure comedy may feel frustrated by the show’s darker tonal choices. For those interested in seeing how actors have changed over time, you can check out the Cast of Karate Kid 1984 then and now.

Viewer reception

The series premiered to positive critical reception. Rotten Tomatoes describes the premise as follows: “When their convenience store-magnate father suddenly dies, a pair of pampered Pakistani American brothers lose everything and are forced to reckon with their Baba’s secret life of crime as they attempt to take up his mantle in the underworld.”

What are the critics saying about Deli Boys?

Critical response to Deli Boys has been largely favorable, with reviewers consistently praising the series’ distinctive casting and the comedic chemistry of its leads.

Season 1 reviews

The show holds a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics have highlighted the freshness of its premise and the authenticity of its cultural perspective. Omnivorous Substack’s review describes the brothers’ dynamic as the show’s strongest asset: “Mir desperately wants to please their father, Arshad (Iqbal Theba), a Pakistani-American immigrant who has made his fortune with a string of delis in the greater Philadelphia area.”

Key praises and criticisms

Reviewers have praised the show for its willingness to combine genuinely high stakes (a criminal empire, FBI investigation) with broad comedy. The most consistent criticism levelled at the show involves the tonal whiplash between its comedic and dramatic impulses. The show doesn’t fully commit to either register, which can leave viewers uncertain about what kind of experience they’re signing up for.

When their convenience store-magnate father suddenly dies, a pair of pampered Pakistani American brothers lose everything and are forced to reckon with their Baba’s secret life of crime as they attempt to take up his mantle in the underworld.

— Rotten Tomatoes, series synopsis

Mir desperately wants to please their father, Arshad (Iqbal Theba), a Pakistani-American immigrant who has made his fortune with a string of delis in the greater Philadelphia area.

— Omnivorous Substack, Season 1 Review

What this means is that critics recognize the show’s ambition even when they question its execution—the casting alone marks Deli Boys as a significant entry in representation-driven streaming comedy.

The pattern suggests that confirmed facts cluster around the main cast and premiere timeline, while unconfirmed items focus on future development details that the production has intentionally withheld.

Hulu’s Deli Boys stars Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh as the Dar brothers, with its detailed Deli Boys ensemble exploring the full comedic crime cast including season 2 additions.

Frequently asked questions

For viewers who want South Asian representation at the center of a streaming comedy, Deli Boys remains one of the few options available in 2025. Whether Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh can sustain audience investment through season 2’s May 2026 premiere will determine whether this show sustains beyond its novelty.