COMIC BELIEF

Indian-American comedian Zarna Garg on making her acting debut in the new Hollywood film A Nice Indian Boy and writing her memoir

- Karishma Upadhyay

Comedian and podcaster Zarna Garg had a moment of self-doubt when director Roshan Sethi offered her a role in the queer, interracial romcom A Nice Indian Boy. After all, she had never acted on screen before. “He then told me not to worry. This was the role of a mother who had to be disappointed in her husband and kids. I immediately knew I could do this better than anybody else. Sit down, Meryl Streep because I've got this,” says Garg in her trademark deadpan style.

Based on a play by Madhuri Shekar, A Nice Indian Boy is the story of an Indian boy who brings his white American fiancé to meet his desi parents. This ode to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge also stars Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff. Garg describes her character Megha Gavaskar, mother to Soni’s Naveen, as an “overbearing desi mother”.