"On Zoom": Deli Boys' casts talk about how they met and ended up working together for the Hulu comedy show 

Hulu's latest American comedy crime series, Deli Boys, which debuted on March 6, 2025, has largely received positive reviews from the audience.

In addition to its comical spin on the crime genre, the show is highly praised for the chemistry between the lead actors, Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, who play brothers on the show.

Recently, the on-screen brother duo appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the late-night show hosted by Kimmel, who asked them about their first meeting. While reminiscing about their first virtual meeting, Ali said,

''We met on Zoom, on a chemistry test on Zoom. We'd never met each other before''

Kimmel was visibly surprised to learn that, despite both actors being in LA, their chemistry test was held on a Zoom call, to which Ali jokingly said, 'budget constraints.'

The duo went on and even revealed how they didn't know each other before Deli Boys and have since become very good friends.

''We auditioned for the same things a lot...and now we go shopping together.''

The on-screen chemistry of the brothers was on full display on Kimmel's show.

More on Deli Boys in our story.

Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh star as two Pakistani-American brothers in Hulu's Deli Boys

Hulu's Deli Boys, a comical spin on the gangster and crime genre, stars Ali and Shaikh as two Pakistani-American brothers whose lives are dramatically changed after the sudden death of their father.

The brothers learn that their late father was a mob boss of a well-established drug empire and are forced to take control of his drug-front convenience store. They are aided by their badass aunt Lucky (Poorna Jagannathan), their father's closest confidante.

Deli Boys was created by Abdullah Saeed, and all ten episodes were released on March 6, 2025.

Speaking with The Wrap, Ali revealed that he was shocked to see the comedy mainly featured all brown people, which was rather unusual for an American comedy series. The cultural diversity and the comedy of the script resonated with him, as he discussed:

“...This show was what I wanted — just straight up funny comedy in a crazy world''

While discussing a funny story about their audition with The Wrap, Ali revealed how he first auditioned for the role of Raj. But eventually, he got the role of the other brother, Mir.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m a super type A, planner type guy, but it’s fun to play difficult people … to me, it’s much more exciting to play somebody who’s super pent up and needs everything to be perfect, because there’s so much conflict there.”

Deli Boys is currently streaming on Hulu.

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Also Read: Will there be a Deli Boys Season 2?

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