Kevin Hart calls me Indian Mamma | I once did a stand-up at a funeral | Karishma Mehta | Ep 25 | HOB

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Published 2023-03-11
"The zany, outspoken voice of the Indian American woman". An Indian-American woman, Zarna Garg went from being a stay-at-home mom for 16 years to Kevin Hart's favourite comedian!

Born in then Bombay, she lost her mother at an early age of 14. She was the youngest kid, her father wanted to marry her off early. But life and destiny had something else in place for her. She rebelled to her liberty, taking the first flight and moved in with her sister in the United States of America. Meanwhile doing college and growing up in the American and yet an Indian way of life, she pursued law and settled in New York City.

She always had a funny bone in her. Coming up with weird responses in absolute serious situations and being naturally humorous, was her one true element. Probably experiencing the first generation of online dating, she met her now husband, Shalabh via America Online on a dating site. Their adventures and journey together completes their Indian-American dream.

After getting married back in India and striking ‘One in a Billion’ kinda chemistry with her mother-in-law, who knew she was going to be her biggest joke material. A student turned lawyer turned a stay-at-home mother, she raised 3 kids in NYC! Till one day, when her daughter told her that she can be a great comic. From going and performing in her first open mic at the age of 44 to being the winner of Kevin Hart's comedy competition, she has been a genuine inspiration to all the Indian brown women. Highlighted as "one of the gutsiest women comedians in America", Bill Clinton and many major comics are in awe of her persona.

Speaking of her relationship with her kids and husband, swimming against the tide to stay in sync with current trends and supporting her family financially amidst the worst of times, she is the true definition of a Mom. Nobody and nothing can stop her and she is set to build the biggest south-asian comedy business in the heartland of American audiences.

Brace yourselves for an impeccable journey filled with punches in this whole comedy set of an episode. Presenting to you, the one who wishes her mother-in-law was dead, the funniest brown woman ever - Zarna Garg!


TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Introduction
00:16 - NAMASTE!
00:44 - America’s sense of humor
2:10 - I fought to get my education
3:30 - My Dad was done parenting
4:00 - ‘Settle in India’ concept
6:03 - I would have died..
8:08 - Humour is my coping mechanism
9:15 - Patel Convention
10:49 - Christopher Columbus of Gujaratis
13:01 - Parents brokering in real life
14:15 - Don’t read, but cook
14:49 - I pursued Law
16:15 - People used to laugh at legal emails
16:56 - No one is ever gonna marry me!
17:35 - Cried at my first paycheck
20:00 - AMERICA ONLINE
21:22 - F.R.I.E.N.D.S was a horror show to me
22:35 - You wanna get married right?
23:35 - Are you a real person?
25:50 - We met at the airport
27:15 - Shalabh hijacked my dates
28:30 - He was from IIT!
29:15 - Adventures of Shalabh and Zarna
32:05 - We finally married in India
32:27 - My Mother-in-Law!
33:44 - Raising kids in NYC!
34:50 - The Movie Moms!
35:24 - I was dying..
36:25 - My daughter inspired me to take comedy
37:23 - I went to my first open-mic
38:35 - My daughter’s essay made it happen
40:35 - Joke stays alive forever
41:32 - At 44, I started as a Stand-up Comedian
42:05 - Kevin Hart and Bill Clinton love me
42:45 - Brown Women have a right to laugh
43:49 - My first birthday wish on stage
44:35 - Humour’s fight against oppression
46:00 - Two immigrants in New York
47:54 - My husband and I are a team
48:57 - Nothing and nobody can stop me
50:07 - Zarna goes into Notalgia
51:10 - Let’s know Zarna Garg
52:00 - If I could go back in time
53:00 - My kids think
53:40 - My story beat 12,000 screenplays
54:41 - One hour comedy special
56:35 - Don’t do it!
58:00 - Thank You to Social Media!
58:57 - NAMASTE!
59:11 - Parting Words
59:19 - Aaila Alia!


Links:
Humans of Bombay
Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialhumansofbombay/
YT Shorts:    / @humansofbombayuncovered  
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/humans-of-bombay

Zarna Garg
Instagram: www.instagram.com/zarnagarg/
Twitter: twitter.com/ZarnaGarg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/zarnagarg
Youtube: youtube.com/zarnagarg

Karishma Mehta
Instagram: www.instagram.com/karimehta05/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/karishma-mehta-b22151174/?orig…


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All Comments (21)
  • @ZarnaGarg
    What a fun chat! I hope everyone feels like they should take their shot and do whatever they want in life ..... thank you for having me!!!
  • @ethelenecook906
    I'm black-American and I'm proud and happy of your success as a comedian. You are very hilarious!😂 👍 👏
  • This is absolutely unbelievable. She did it all at the age of twenty-one. And again later at mid forties. She is so real. She is almost a wonder. Extremely heartening and inspiring. Love you Jharna. ZARNA.
  • @VH-lx4eh
    Zarna is an inspiration. Humble and sassy, love her. And she raised great kids. Zoya is such a thoughtful and intelligent gal.
  • Quite impressed and shows how intelligent she is. Shame we missed her talents for 16 years. I fully understand the joke when her good gentleman husband lost it when she said ITI, instead of IIT. Mumbai and New York are two similar cities brimming with talent and innovation.
  • @sidramir3211
    I seriously hope you (Zarna) appreciate that daughter of yours. She is incredibly selfless, empathetic & endlessly loving to have pushed you in this direction
  • @meghamilan9308
    Zarna I can’t thank you enough for appearing in my life at a time when I had started to slip away and my self worth and my belief in myself had started to shake the ground beneath my feet. I was so consumed with being that woman who is a wife, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt and on and on that I didn’t have any view of who I am just on my own. Who is ME? This question started to trouble me but like you mentioned I didn’t know the way out. A caged tiger living with that fierce idea of self but just not figuring out the courage and confidence to break out of this mould. Zarna and all of this when I have been a financially independent woman for 23 years. Yet the self worth started to diminish. The value of self started to dim. And then, like a miracle or magic Zarna you burst out on the scene for me.. thank you! You saved this woman from drowning in self wallowing and self pity! I love you so much and wish you the bestest always. Thank you Karishma for featuring her.. she is my favourite ❤️🤗💙
  • @sumanrao1739
    You are the pride of India. You have broken stereotypes. Keep going Zarna!
  • Karishma is such an uncomfortable interviewer to watch. She is so serious and so intent on reading her notes, I only watched because of Zaria.
  • @Patildeepti
    Love you Zarna! My mom, worked throughout bringing up 3 kids gave me one advice when things get difficult during parenting that this is temporary, do not leave your job. And that’s my mantra.
  • You really spoke your heart and for others who are unable to . Your daughter is a darling angel who helped at right time . way to go and keep inspiring !!!!!
  • Such humorous take on Indian women life!! 😂 I totally agree on taking career break. It was so tough to get back to career. 😢
  • @rosalindfong235
    Would Zarna like to bring her show to Singapore .I will provide accomodation for maximum 10 people from her team free to make a show in Singapore possible
  • @sadiaali9856
    She is brilliant, beautiful, hilarious and a pure heart❤
  • You have certainly broken many glass ceilings You certainly are motivational and inspirational with a positive outlook. And so down to earth! so look forward to seeing you perform live!
  • So honest and so genuine straight from the heart conversation. Loved it ❤
  • @CoryKahaney
    So heartwarming! Can’t get enough of Zarna ❤
  • I think the interviewer should stop saying yeah so frequently.. Because it's irritating to hear it so much during the interview
  • @Monikatours
    Being same age, i can understand well how being settle was so important. But not everyone get there... Good she did! Cant believe that i havent heard of zarna till date. Will check her work... Thanks for sharing about her.