21 August,2026 08:56 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Zarna Garg. Pic via Instagram
Indian-origin American stand-up comedian and author Zarna Garg recently found herself in an unfavourable situation. She shared a video on her Instagram account sharing her ordeal where she was stuck inside the bathroom of a Hermes store in Berlin, Germany. The comic stayed stuck inside for over an hour, after which she was safely evacuated.
Zarna shared a video taken from outside by her daughter, wherein the staff can be seen trying to open the sliding door of the bathroom. In a clip, Zarna can be recording a video message from the inside, saying she has been stuck for over 20 minutes as the sliding door won't open. "It is funny that this is happening at a place that is so pernickety about perfection," she says.
As the team tries to open the door, Zarna can be seen making light of the situation as she jokes about counting paper towels inside and even making origami with the towels. Meanwhile, the fire department arrives and tries to open the door. One of the staff members can be seen saying they cannot break open the door.
After over an hour, the door is finally opened and Zarna walks out. She can be seen breaking down after coming out, saying, "Thank God there was no fire." She then walks out of the store, noting that no one apologised for the situation and inconvenience. Just then, a lady arrives with a gift for Zarna, which she refuses to accept, saying she doesn't need a bottle of champagne for being locked in for an hour.
Zarna Garg was born in India and spent part of her childhood in Mumbai. However, her life changed drastically after she lost her mother when she was just 14 years old. She left home and stayed with relatives and friends before eventually moving to the United States to live with her sister in Akron, Ohio.
She focused on education as she started over in a new country, earning a finance degree from the University of Akron before completing a law degree at Case Western Reserve University. Years later, she stepped away from her legal career to raise her three children. After 16 years of full-time parenting, it was her children who encouraged her to try stand-up comedy.
The recognition came quickly for Zarna, as she won Kevin Hart's Lyft Comics competition and was named one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch. She even appeared on major American television shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Similarly, her memoir, This American Woman, also went on to become a New York Times bestseller.
