Ahead of the IndieWire Honors Spring 2026 ceremony on June 4 in Los Angeles, showrunner Michelle Nader and Jenni Konner sing the praises of “Deli Boys” stars Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh—this season’s Breakthrough Award recipients—crediting them for turning unli
The “Deli Boys” brothers have a way of getting laughs and keeping them—sometimes long after the episode ends.
That’s the feeling showrunner and producer Michelle Nader and Jenni Konner brought into the lead-up to IndieWire Honors Spring 2026. a Los Angeles event set for June 4. Curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team. IndieWire Honors spotlights creators. artisans. and performers behind television series that are “well worth toasting.” In the days before the ceremony. IndieWire is rolling out fresh interviews and tributes from peers.
In that run-up, Nader and Konner singled out Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh as this season’s Breakthrough Award recipients.
“Deli Boys,” they say, has always been about overcoming impossible, ridiculous odds. The show survived COVID, a handful of studio mergers, and a writers’ strike. And when it comes to what it takes to keep multiple seasons of a fish-out-of-water comedy going. Nader and Konner argue the answer is simple: magic.
Nader and Konner describe Asif Ali as a performer whose comedy lands so well you find yourself chuckling weeks later—then follow it with a kind of full-bodied presence that makes you forget cameras were ever in the room. They point to his work as Mir Dar. “the brother who holds the family together while pretending it costs him nothing.” Ali. they say. brings specific. beautiful layers to the straight man role. with physicality that’s “exacting and fluid” at the same time. They also credit him with comedic timing and emotional nuance. adding that he makes people warm to him again and again.
For Saagar Shaikh. Nader and Konner focus on the role of Raj Dar—described as casual about mushroom-taking. never having had a job. and “orgy-loving. ” as well as a spoiled son of a rich man. They say Shaikh made Raj the heart of the show and gave it tenderness simply by being there. His ability. they add. is that he can stand out in every scene while also making everyone around him shine. taking very little and turning it into the most memorable moment.
The praise doesn’t end with the brothers. They emphasize that the series lives and dies on the brothers’ relationship—and on Auntie Lucky, played by Poorna Jagannathan. Nader and Konner credit Saagar and Asif’s dynamic for bringing that whole world to life with the “lived-in texture of real relationships. ” marked by shorthand. buried wounds. and impenetrable loyalty.
They also say the intensity carries over off screen, insisting that it matters deeply to those making the show—from the top of the call sheet to every part of the process.
“Deli Boys” itself, they argue, matters for multiple reasons: it’s stupidly funny in a dark time, and it’s built around “passionate, thoughtful, wonderful people.” They close by returning to the center of their case—Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh showing up and making the characters matter.
“Deli Boys” Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.
Deli Boys IndieWire Honors Breakthrough Award Asif Ali Saagar Shaikh Michelle Nader Jenni Konner Poorna Jagannathan Hulu Los Angeles June 4 Spring 2026