In “Deli Boys,” stars Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh bring infectious and seemingly limitless comedic energy to their leading roles as Mir and Raj Dar, two pampered Pakistani heirs to a deli fortune forced to get their hands dirty when they discover their late father’s fortune was built largely on an illegal drug trade.
That comedic spirit made them the recipients of this season’s IndieWire Honors Breakthrough Award, and they brought it to the podium at the ceremony on Thursday, June 4 at Nya West in Hollywood with a hilarious, rowdy acceptance speech that doubled as a stand-up comedy routine.
“Motherfuckers tried to lock the door, we broke through that bitch,” Shaikh said at the top of the speech. “Tried to keep us out, we broke through that bitch.”
“This is what it feels like to win an NBA championship,” Ali added. “This is what it feels like, this is what happens when you get into the pros. God damn it, Nicolas Cage touched this podium.”
Reflecting on the reward, Ali also gave a cheeky thank you to all the people “in their category” who didn’t receive the prize: “Listen, it was a tough year. Leonardo DiCaprio, you’ll get them next time. Daniel Day-Lewis, sorry you couldn’t breakthrough this year. Yeah, Meryl Streep, I’ll see you in the parking lot.”
While the speech was mostly lighthearted, both honorees did take time to thank the team involved with the series. “Thanks to our whole team, man,” Shaikh said. “Jenni Konner, Michelle Nader, Nora Silver, Maddie Chase, and Neil Corian, Onyx Collective, 20th, Hulu, Tara Duncan, Abdullah Saeed, everybody that worked on the show. We love Chicago, the entire city of Chicago.”
“We love working with Hulu, Disney, Onyx,” Ali added. “Thank you so much for letting our little South Asian show that good. Thank you, IndieWire, for letting us do this, and we love you. Keep making cool shit.”
Created by Abdullah Saeed, “Deli Boys” premiered in March 2025 to positive critical response. The second season premiered this May. The show stars Ali, Shaikh, Poorna Jagannathan, Brian George, and Fred Armisen.
This season’s IndieWire Honors ceremony took place on Thursday, June 4, in Los Angeles with an intimate cocktail reception and ceremony. Stay tuned for more exclusive editorial and social content from the night, including video interviews, outtakes, and more.
You can watch Ali and Shaikh’s complete speech in the video above.
