Francis Ford Coppola’sGodfathermovie trilogy is one of the most parodied sagas in cinema history, and Hulu’s crime-themed sitcomDeli Boyscontinues this tradition.Deli Boysseason 1is hilariously brilliant for several reasons, not least its send-up of Pakistani-American and South Asian culture. However, the best and most notable feature is the affectionate tribute it pays toThe Godfatherby referencing and parodying the movie trilogy throughout its 10 episodes.
Deli Boystells the story of Mir and Raj Dar, two spoiled and incompetent Pakistani-American brothers who inherit their father’sBaba Dar’s crime organization when he’s killed, without realizing what they’ve gotten themselves into. Abdullah Saeed’s series uses its premise to work inGodfatherreferences around the themes of family and organized crime in American migrant communities. From the very first episode, the show’s nods to Hollywood’s greatest crime saga go down a treat, withMir, Raj, and Baba Dar the perfect characters for a wonderfully absurd South-Asian pastiche of Vito Corleone and his sons.
Hulu’s Deli Boys Features Many Fun Nods To The Godfather Movies
From The Dar Family Dynamic To Affectionate Reenactments Of Entire Scenes
From the large fish mounted on the wall of the social club where DarCo executives meet to the Italian crime magnate Chickie Lozano (often erroneously referred to as “Chickie Lasagna” by the Dar brothers),Deli Boysis awash with clever references to the crime genreit’s parodying. More specifically, we realize that the show is aiming its parody squarely atThe Godfatherwhen Nino Rota’s “Godfather Theme” is worked into Wendy Wang’s musical score during the scene of Baba Dar’s funeral. The season’s storylines then work in countless more hilarious details that reference the seminal crime movie trilogy.
The Dar boys appear to be comical homages to Sonny and Michael Corleone, with Mir having gone to college just as Michael did prior to the events ofThe Godfather,something he reminds everyone on repeat. Baba Dar, meanwhile, used a lemon pickle business as a front for his cocaine racket, just asVito Corleone is seen using Genco Pura Olive Oil Companyas a cover for his criminal dealings inThe Godfather Part II. Meanwhile, Auntie Lucky serves as the Tom Hagen ofDeli Boys, and Lozano hosts his version of the Havana Conference at a Super Bowl party.
Deli BoysTribute
Nino Rota’s “Godfather Theme”
Wendy Wang’s musical score during Baba Dar’s funeral in episode 1
Vito Corleone’s Genco Pura Olive Oil Company is a front for his crime organization
Baba Dar’s Achar Lemon Pickle a front for his cocaine smuggling enterprise
Michael Corleone as a college boy who was never meant to run his father’s crime family
Mir Dar is as a Drexel University alumnus who’s ill-equipped to run his father’s crime business
Michael Corleone’s meeting with Hyman Roth in Cuba is based on the real-life “Havana Conference”
Tom Hagen as Vito Corleone’s adopted son and consigliere
Auntie Lucky as Baba Dar’s adopted daughter and consigliere
Don Fanucci’s walk through Little Italy inThe Godfather Part II
Mir Dar’s walk through the neighborhood of his convenience store in episode 9
Michael Corleone tells his wife, Kay, “Don’t ask me about my business.”
Mir Dar tells his fiancée Bushra, “Don’t ask me about my business,” during their wedding
The last two episodes ofDeli Boysseason 1 take theGodfatherreferences to another level, with Mir Dar doing a full reenactment of Don Fanucci’s walk through Little Italy inThe Godfather Part II. Mir later tells his prospective wife, “Don’t ask me about my business,” during their wedding. She calls him out directly, telling him not toquoteThe Godfatherto her.
How Deli Boys Puts A Fresh Spin On The Crime Drama
Abdullah Saeed’s Series Cleverly Blends The Crime Genre With South Asian Comedy
The brilliance ofDeli Boys’Godfathertributes is that the show has found a context in whichits crime movie references can be spun into a perfectly pitched sendup of small convenience storeswith South Asian owners. Abdullah Saeed’s choice of lemon pickle to reference Vito Corleone’s front business hilariously subverts the ingenuity of this scheme, while the convenience store gags during Mir’s Don Fanucci-style walk are priceless. Even the name of Dar consigliere Auntie Lucky feels completely at odds with a gangster’s ruthless right hand.
The Godfather’s Original Casting Choice For A Minor Character Would Have Ruined The Godfather Part II
If a certain iconic actor had gotten the small role he was considered for in The Godfather, it would’ve prevented one of the best castings in Part II.
What Saeed and his co-writers do in somehow blending the seemingly disparate worlds of Sicilian-American mobsters and Pakistani-American small business owners is no mean feat.EveryGodfathermoviereference is lovingly thought out and executed from the perspective of a creator who knows his own migrant community inside out. This combination makesDeli Boysa joy to watch, both for anyone who’s ever seen a mafia movie and for those of South Asian heritage who relate to the show’s satirical take on running a convenience store.
Why Deli Boys' Rotten Tomatoes Score Is So High – Is It Worth Watching?
The Show’s 1st Season Has Earned Its Critical Acclaim
Deli Boyshas deservedly landed a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoessince it debuted on Hulu and Disney+ in early March, with critics overwhelmingly positive about the sitcom. Its lighthearted take on organized crime from a completely new angle feels authentic and grounded in the real-life experiences of those behind the show. At the same time, there’s clearly a lot of affection for and understanding of the crime movie genre in the writing, backed up by some superb performances fromNever Have I Ever’s Poorna JagannathanandSeinfeld’s Brian George, among others.
As far as crime-family fun goes,Deli Boysis definitely worth a watch.
Fans of these classic series, as well as crime dramas on the big and small screen and other genre-subverting sitcoms, will surely loveDeli Boys. The show doesn’t shy away from building up a body count, as all series centering on organized crime inevitably do. But the hapless Mir brothers and their (mostly) well-meaning associates make up for any blood and guts that are spilled with consistent laughs throughout the first season’s 10 episodes. As far as crime-family fun goes,Deli Boysis definitely worth a watch.
