Meet Raj & Mir Dar - The Deli Boys (Exclusive)

Deli Boys is the latest laugh-out-loud comedy series on Hulu, with an ensemble cast that tells a story filled with twists and turns, in their unique fashion. Leading the squad are the Deli Boys themselves— Raj and Mir Dar, played by Saagar Shaikh and Asif Ali.

While chatting with Sportskeeda for an exclusive interview, it became clear immediately that their performance on Deli Boys mirrored their real-life personas. They are goofy, hilarious, and when the situation calls for it, they can be serious too.

In the show, the lives of the brothers changes forever when their father meets with an unfortunate end. Soon, they are pulled into a life of crime— one they are ill equipped for!

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The Deli Boys and their love interests

From the outset, the difference between the two Deli Boys is made abundantly clear in the Hulu original series. Mir Dar (Asif Ali) is the more sensible and levelheaded of the two, hoping for a normal life. All he wants is marital bliss with Bushra, the love of his life.

Ali talked about Mir and Bushra's relationship.

"Mir and Bushra is very much like…we love each other but it’s very much like we’re doing all these things on the clock. We started dating here. We’re getting married here. We’re gonna have kids here. We’re gonna get a house here," he said.

Even though Mir and Bushra care deeply for one another, the basis for their relationship has already been mapped out.

"I have my plan. My ten year plan. I’m getting a job. I’m becoming CEO. So it’s very much a relationship that’s on a schedule. And a checklist," Asif Ali added.

Raj Dar is the complete opposite. He is a party animal, in love with his shaman, Prairie. Saagar Shaikh, who plays the eclectic character, illustrated their relationship.

"Whereas Raj and Prairie, they are twin flames. They are soulmates. They don’t have to talk about it. They just know. And they don’t care about what a normal relationship is like. They don’t care about labeling it," he remarked.

So what if the actors were put into the same situation as their Deli Boys characters? Would they embrace a life of crime as easily as Raj and Mir Dar did?

Asif Ali's answer was hilarious.

"I honestly would be so shocked. For a minute. And then depending on which family member it was, I would probably be like 'Nah. I kinda saw that. I kinda saw that coming.' There’s some people in my family that I’d be like… 'that’s not so crazy'," Ali noted.

Saagar Shaikh's answer was even more so.

"I would definitely… if my family was part of a crime family, and we just found out today, I’d probably join," he said.

As Asif Ali laughed at his on-screen brother's answer, Shaikh added:

"Not gonna lie. I’d be like 'Yo, let me figure out how to do this on a bigger scale, with some discretion'."

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All 10 episodes of Deli Boys are currently streaming on Hulu.