Neither of the women behind Shugs & Fats started out wanting to be a comedian. Vaz left a thriving career in advertising, and Manzoor quit a successful job in social work, both hoping to break into comedy. They met as teachers at the New York City improv school Improvulation and became fast friends. Two years ago, they were working on their individual projects — Manzoor was writing a book about her experiences as a Muslim Pakistani growing up in the West, and Vaz was working on her stand-up show — when the now-defunct MTV Desi approached them to create a project together. The result was Shugs & Fats.