‘This Show Really Faced an Uphill Battle’
In the fresh Hulu series called “Deli Boys“, there’s a subtle wink to this topic that highlights the show’s greatest success. The zany comedy from Abdullah Saeed revolves around Raj Dhar (Saagar Shaikh) and Mir Dhar (Asif Ali), two privileged Pakistani American brothers who are unexpectedly tasked with managing a criminal family business following their father’s (baba’s) sudden demise. In episode three, the siblings, along with their late father’s associates, Lucky Auntie (Poorna Jagannathan) and Ahmed Uncle (Brian George), search for a fresh avenue to distribute the cocaine they conceal in pungent jars of achaar (South Asian pickles). They arrange a meeting with an Indian restaurant chain to dupe them into stocking their merchandise. “Try it,” Mir suggests, unscrewing the lid. “If your child doesn’t experience bullying by white schoolchildren when they pull this out of their lunchbox, it’s not Kaka-brand achaar!” In the universe of “Deli Boys“, this comment is neither a reference to racial discrimination nor a criticism of its portrayal; instead, it serves as a trope to play with. As much as any show featuring brown Muslim characters can, the show avoids discussing identity politics unless they contribute to humor. The way these characters identify themselves ethnically is irrelevant to the dangerous, high-stakes criminal world they find themselves in.
