Zarna Garg

Zarna Garg
NationalityIndian, American
EducationUniversity of Akron
Case Western Reserve University
Years active2018-present
SpouseShalabh Garg
Children3

Zarna Garg (born c. 1975)[1] is an Indian-American stand-up comedian and screenwriter. CNBC called her "the zany, outspoken voice of the Indian American woman."[2]

Early life, family and education

Zarna was born in India. She lived in Mumbai as a teenager. Her mother died of jaundice when Zarna was fourteen.[3] Her father demanded that Zarna get married the day after the death. Rather than have an arranged marriage, Zarna moved out of the house and stayed with friends and family.

Eventually, she immigrated to the US, relocating to live with her sister in Akron, Ohio.[2][4]

She earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Akron, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.[5] After being a stay-at-home mother for 16 years, she was encouraged by her children to try stand-up comedy.[6]

Career

Garg first performed at an open mic in New York City in 2018,[4] and her first official standup show was in February 2019 at Carolines on Broadway in New York City.[3] Her debut romantic comedy screenplay Rearranged won the Best Comedy Screenplay Award at the 2019 Austin Film Festival, and was also a 2019 Academy Nicholl Fellowships Semi-Finalist.[7]

In 2021, Garg won Kevin Hart's comedy competition on Peacock, Lyft Comics.[8] She also won the Ladies of Laughter Award in the Newcomer Winner category.[9] In 2022 she was highlighted as "one of the gutsiest women comedians in America" in Gutsy on Apple TV, hosted by Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton.[10][11] She appeared on Tamron Hall,[12] Today,[13] and This American Life[14] to discuss how her daughter Zoya inspired her to start her stand up comedy career. She then made a second appearance on This American Life appearance with her husband, Shalabh. In 2023, Zarna hosted the National Women's History Museum's Women Making History Awards.[15]

Her first comedy special, Zarna Garg: One in a Billion, was released on Prime Video on May 16, 2023. It was filmed in September 2022 at Gramercy Theatre in New York City.[11] "Quick set-ups, rapid-fire punchlines ... Zarna has the kind of presence that powers network sitcoms." - Jason Zinoman, The New York Times. [16]

Garg has produced and published her family podcast, The Zarna Garg Show, which airs on all major podcast platforms including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

She starred in "A Nice Indian Boy" as the mother of the Gavaskar family. The film premiered at the SXSW film festival.[17]

Garg made her late night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January 2024, where she performed her new set at their New York City set.

She is currently opening for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's tour and touring her next stand-up hour, "Practical People Win," in the US and internationally. She is also touring her hit podcast "The Zarna Garg Show".

Personal life

In 1998 Zarna married Shalabh Garg in the USA. They met on an online platform. They have three children together and live in New York City.[18]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2023 Zarna Garg: One in a Billion Amazon Self Also writer
2023 The Zarna Garg Show: Family Podcast Self Producer
2024 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Self Guest
2024 A Nice Indian Boy Self Actress

References

  1. ^ Kokra, Sonali (October 9, 2023). "Meet Zarna Garg: The Indian mother whose comedy is taking the US by storm". The National.
  2. ^ a b "Zarna Garg: the zany, outspoken voice of the Indian-American woman". cnbctv18.com. 18 January 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  3. ^ a b Dutt, Ela (6 October 2020). "She calls herself 'The Funny Brown Mom': comedian Zarna Garg". News India Times. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  4. ^ a b Kelsch, Carl (12 May 2023). "Zarna Garg's New Stand-Up Special Is a Family Affair". Harpers Bazaar. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  5. ^ Biswas, Swarnendu (29 March 2022). "All About Zarna Garg". Seema.com. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  6. ^ McCarthy, Sean (16 May 2023). "'Zarna Garg: One In A Billion' On Prime Video, An Indian Immigrant Mom Releases Her Debut Comedy Special". Decider.com. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  7. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (2020-02-18). "Sanjay Sharma's Marginal Mediaworks Sets South Asian Rom-Com 'Rearranged' From Zarna Garg". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  8. ^ Which Comedian Will Win This Head-to-Head Undercover Challenge? | LYFT COMICS (Eps. 1), retrieved 2021-12-19
  9. ^ "Ladies of Laughter®". Ladies of Laughter®. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  10. ^ "'Gutsy' Apple TV Plus Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  11. ^ a b Patten, Dominic (6 April 2023). "Zarna Garg Lands First Comedy Special, Gets May Premiere Date On Prime Video". Deadline. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  12. ^ Comedian Zarna Garg Went From Being a Stay-At-Home Mom to a Social Media Star, retrieved 2022-09-21
  13. ^ "Episode dated 7 January 2023", IMDb, retrieved 2023-01-24
  14. ^ "Comedy Duo". This American Life. 2022-09-17. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  15. ^ "Zarna Garg". National Women's History Museum. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  16. ^ Five Stand-Up Specials for the Long Holiday Weekend
  17. ^ South by Southwest
  18. ^ Mauch, Ally (November 11, 2021). "Comedian Zarna Garg Jokes About 'Trashing' Her Family: 'It Comes Easily to Me'". People. Retrieved 2021-12-19.