Zarna Garg: Homeless teen to TikTok comedy star – Lives Less Ordinary podcast, BBC World Service

Kicked out of home after refusing an arranged marriage, Zarna Garg left Mumbai in pursuit of happiness and ended up an acclaimed comedian, touring with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Click here to subscribe to our channel https://bbc.in/3VyyriM Zarna Garg was in her 40s living in New York City when she went to an open mic night for the very first time. Before that, she’d never even heard of stand up comedy and was only there, resentfully, at the insistence of her children who were convinced their mother would be a success. The kids were right, and Zarna – who was desperate for a new career and described herself as a “manic, deranged Manhattan housewife” – found her calling in comedy. Zarna has spent her whole life reinventing herself. Born in Mumbai to a wealthy Indian family, she was kicked out by her controlling father when she refused an arranged marriage. At the time, Zarna was a teenager and grieving the sudden death of her mother to illness. Overnight, Zarna became homeless, relying on the kindness of friends for a place to stay. After more than a year of instability, she succumbed to her father’s demands and agreed to be married. But just before the wedding, Zarna received a visa and arrived in the US – in pursuit of happiness and love, on her own terms. 00:00 Coming up in the episode 00:30 Intro 01:19 Zarna’s childhood in India 03:18 The death of Zarna’s mother 06:10 Her father’s decision: marriage at a young age 13:33 Moving to the United States 17:29 Posting an online ad for a husband 20:24 Meeting her future husband 25:30 Exploring multiple business ideas 30:00 Starting stand-up comedy 37:50 Outro Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Helen Fitzhenry and Maryam Maruf Video Producer: Beatrice Guzzardi ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   Twitter 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   Facebook 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #zarnagarg #tiktokcomedy