Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 2 of “Deli Boys,” all six episodes of which premiered on Hulu on May 28.
Hulu’s crime comedy “Deli Boys” picks up steam in its second season as Mir (Asif Ali) and Raj Dhar (Sagar Shaikh) try to run their late father’s cocaine empire with the help of Lucky (Poorna Jagannathan).
But as the “Deli Boys” return, the two brothers find themselves at a crossroads. Mir is focused on fulfilling his father’s dream of investing Darko’s funds in golf courses and country clubs, while Raj is focused on avenging his father’s death at the hands of his former lieutenant Ahmad (Brian George).
“Bubba’s dream was to run these golf courses so that our family could get away from being totally dependent on criminal organizations to make money,” Ali told Variety. “His idea was to launder money so we could just be part of society. I think Mir’s character sacrificed a lot with the broken engagement and the wedding. And now he’s working to make that dream come true.”
Shaikh says Raj is more of a “peace and love” type, but Ahmad’s actions cannot go unpunished.
“We are in this mess because Ahmad killed Baba,” he said. “[The Dahl brothers]could have lived a good life. They could have never known about Baba’s crimes. Raj could still have had an orgy and a response room.”
Raj eventually seeks out Ahmad, but Ahmad is demanding a large cash payment for his silence over Darko and the cocaine smuggling. Raj shows up to the meeting fully armed (and quite petrified), but apparently leaves Ahmad alive. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that Ahmad had been killed by a car bomb, and Raj was arrested on suspicion of murder. Thankfully, Raj’s mugshot went viral and he soon became known as “Fuck Me Felon.”
Helping him get released is a lawyer (played by Kumail Nanjiani) who has a romantic past with Lucky. Ali and Shaikh praised Nanjiani’s ability to improvise, especially his performance in the courtroom scene where he faces Andrew Rannells, who plays a determined prosecuting attorney running for mayor. Nanjiani will also show off his table tennis skills against Fred Armisen, who plays casino magnate and money launderer Max Sugar.
“There are some scenes, like that courtroom scene, where he just rips,” Ali says of Nanjiani. “It was very impromptu. I think it turned out really well. Same thing with table tennis. (Shaikh) ended up playing against him.”
“During lunch, yeah, we played for an hour,” Shaikh added. “Awesome. I mean, he was so cool, so prepared and ready to play. It was so much fun to sit there and watch (Nanjinai and Runnels) do what they were supposed to do. I love that guy.”
As the season draws to a close, the boys and Lucky come out on top, overthrowing Max’s empire and taking control of Chadwater. However, the celebrations do not last long, as a note arrives from the “eldest Dar” warning that he is coming to take Baba’s fortune.
Who is the other Dahl brother? Ali has a theory.
“It’s Robert Downey Jr., but he’s still playing Doom,” he jokes. “It’s part of the multiverse.”
