Zarna Garg Discusses Her Comedy Journey

Indian-American comedian Zarna Garg has deep ties to Northeast Ohio. She attended the University of Akron as an undergraduate student, and she went o Case Western Reserve University as a graduate student. So her return to town to perform at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Mimi Ohio Theatre will serve as a homecoming of sorts for Garg, who released her comedy special debut, One in a Billion, in 2023 and hosts a podcast dubbed The Zarna Garg Family Podcast.

In this recent phone interview from her New York home, she speaks about her career and how motherhood sent her down the path of a stand-up comic.

I think you lived in Akron for a little while. What was that like?

It was the best. I have the best memories. I had the best time. People were so lovely. My years in Akron were extremely warm and filled with joy.

And you also went to Case Western Reserve University.

That was great too. I lived by myself. I had never lived by myself, so it took some getting used to. The university was so amazing. It was a small, nice community. I think of my Ohio years very fondly.

Did you perform at any of the comedy clubs here while you lived here?

No, no. I started comedy just a few years ago, so I didn’t perform there when I was here. Later, I did play Hilarities a few times. It was outstanding.

Do you remember if you were funny as a kid?

People think I was funny. I wasn’t trying to be funny. Does that make sense? I was just living my life. They would tell me that the things I said were ridiculous. I would say, “I really don’t think it is.”

Did you have comics you admired?

I had not watched standup comedy live until I went to an open mic night to do my own show. I was watching all the sitcoms that comedians made. I understood the long form storytelling they were doing. Of course, I was a fan of Jerry Seinfeld and Ray Romano and all of the big names you have seen on TV forever.

What did you read growing up?

I read a lot. When I was child, I read a lot of business books to be honest with you. I was obsessed with entrepreneurship, and I would read about creators and entertainers and what they did to improve their craft. It was a lot of that stuff. I never thought I would become an artist. Not once. Not once in my life.

Did your kids encourage you to do standup?

Yes. They pushed me to do it. My comedic identity is based on me being a mother. You have to have a sense of humor when you’re raising three kids. They do stupid things every day.

What did your kids say to make you think you could succeed?

I think what happened was that I was a stay-at-home mom for many years, and they saw me trying to get back into the workforce, and I was failing at everything. Everything I tried was flopping. What they noticed was that people really wanted to talk to me. They would all be laughing when they spoke to me. My kids told me that friends and teachers liked talking to me and thought I was funny. It had never occurred to me. No Indian woman ever considers that as a career option.

Did you get your law degree?

Yes, I did, and I’m licensed to practice law in New York. I wasn’t a bad lawyer. I did work for a few years, but once I had my first kid, I quit. We don’t have any family around in New York, and it was either me or my husband who had to stay home with the kids. This was 27 years ago when remote work was not a thing. You had to make a choice.

What was your first-ever standup show like?

I remember the first open mic. I wasn’t planning to go on stage. The plan was for me to show up at the club and take a selfie to let my kids know that I went to see what it was, and then, I would go on to do other things with my life. The woman running the club told me to do five minutes. I said, “Five minutes of what?” I had nothing prepared. She said I should go on stage and say whatever I thought was funny. I got on stage, and I started trashing my mother-in-law. Who doesn’t think that’s funny? That’s how that started. I remember people looking at me and saying, “Don’t stop.” I think it went well because the stakes were so low. I didn’t think it would go anywhere, so whatever happened would be good.

You filmed your first comedy special, Zarna Garg: One in a Billion, in 2022. Talk about what you wanted to accomplish with it.

I think I wanted to introduce the world to the idea that a woman who looks like and sounds like me and dresses like me can also do this. I don’t think that that comedy special was perfect. I was three years into comedy when I filmed it. But there is a rawness to it that resonated with people all across the country. Not everyone has the luxury to work on a joke for ten years. A lot of comics do, but not all of them do. I like to say I have a day job and a weekend and night job. I knew it was not perfect, but that’s what I wanted to put into the world. I wanted to let everyone know that it’s okay. You don’t have to be perfect. I think I did a really good job of being authentic and honest to who I am.

Your immigrant jokes seem particularly timely now. What do you think of the current administration’s approach to immigration?

I think they need to stop the aggression. Whether we agree about the problem, everything must be managed in a dignified and humane way. I don’t agree with how it’s being handled. I’m a mother and immigrant myself. I have relatives who are immigrants. There is a right way and wrong way to do everything in life, and this does not feel right. Even if we agree there is a problem to be solved, there has to be a better way to solve the problem. Right now, it feels like they’ve brought out a sledgehammer, and that does not feel right at all. Someone with a little bit of sanity and maturity needs to take control of the situation and find a better way of handling the issue.

Talk about what it has been like to tour with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. You have been their opening act.

It was outstanding. It was everything you would expect it to be and then some. They’re iconic. I learned so much from them. They’re also extremely generous and warm and loving people. I learned how you can be that and still build your business. It was a big honor.

How do you know them?

I read about their tour in the newspaper, and I called my agent right away. I said, “Please, please, please see if they need an opener.” They don’t really do standup, but I thought maybe they wanted an opener who does.

They must have a great audience.

Their audience is like a big parent-teacher meeting. I’m a mother of three. That’s in my wheelhouse. It doesn’t matter what culture you are. We’re all doing the same thing. It was the perfect match. That’s why I ended up touring with them for two years.

What is your new material like?

I have a special out on Hulu, and this new tour is called Million Dollar Excuses. It’s my brand new hour. It’s me teaching people about how to get out of things they don’t wanna do. They’ll come to my show and get excuses for everything. You’ll go home with a toolbox full of things you can say and do to get out of difficult situations.