Romesh Ranganathan is the world's most tired-looking comedian. On stage, he is frequently hunched over the microphone, eyes betraying perpetual exhaustion, as he wearily delivers meditations on life’s little frustrations.
This observation was brought to his attention during a Zoom call after a sold-out show in the Australian city of Adelaide, and he somewhat agrees with the description.
"I’ve never heard it described that way, but I think it nails it," he tells The National. "My comedy expresses the discontent that many people feel but don’t say out loud. A lot of people tell me after shows: 'You said what I was thinking but didn’t have the guts to say.' But most of the time, my frustration is with myself – it's my own inadequacy that becomes the target of my humour."
Beating himself up on stage is clearly working. Over the last decade, the British-Sri Lankan comedian has established himself as not only an international comedy star – his coming Dubai show on October 25 is part of a world tour taking him across Europe and the US – but also a popular television personality.
He has appeared as a guest on notable UK variety shows such as Have I Got News for You and Mock of the Week, in addition to a growing number of television projects such as the sitcom The Reluctant Landlord and the quirky travel series The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, which has taken him to exotic countries from Ethiopia to Mongolia.
Those air miles, along with his experiences slinging barbs with guest panellists the likes of Jimmy Carr and Rob Beckett, have allowed Ranganathan to subtly refine his craft. He no longer "hunts" for material but allows it to come naturally. "That comes from experience, and the gap between who I am off and on stage has closed," he says. "Early on, I was always hunting for the funny and would have to turn on 'my act' when I got on stage, but now, if you spoke to me backstage, I am similar to who I am on stage. There is no showbiz version of myself."
This is largely due to Ranganathan's decision to dig deeper during his performances, often speaking about his own vulnerabilities. In last year's comedy special Irrational, he compares parenting to walking through a minefield, describing his role as a father as akin to being a "walking invoice". As for returning to Sri Lanka to reconnect with his roots, he speaks of the dilemma of worrying about "not being Sri Lankan enough, while conversely not being English enough".
That self-flagellation on stage has a purpose, Ranganathan asserts. The aim of his comedy is to make people feel content with who they are. "The truth is, one of the things I do when writing stand-up is that if I feel embarrassed to say something publicly, then I think I'm onto something good," he says. "If I'm expressing a thought that feels slightly awkward to say, I take it as a good sign. I think what I'm doing is showing that it's okay to feel that way.
"That's why I am a massive fan of The Simpsons, particularly Homer Simpson. He is such a great character because of his deficiencies and we are just grateful that it is displayed on screen. That’s kind of what I’m trying to do with my stand-up – showing that I'm pathetic because I do this, which makes you feel better about the fact that you might do it sometimes too. That's the idea."
Ranganathan understands this nuance better than most, having been a public advocate in the UK for mental health awareness. The day he spoke to The National, an interview was published in the UK newspaper The Times, where he revealed his lived experience with intense bouts of depression.
It's a conversation he would like to see more of in public. "I feel like in the last few years we've got better and better at it," he adds. "But one of the reasons that I talk about it so openly is that I just feel like people are very good at going through mental health issues, but presenting as if they're not going through that.
"And so what happens is often people can go through these kinds of struggles without anybody there to really support them. And I feel like if we are more willing to talk about it openly, the better. If, as friends, I suddenly see that there's something not quite right with you, I hope to genuinely ask you: 'Are you okay?'”
For such a solitary art form, Ranganathan says stand-up comedians may be more susceptible to mental health conditions than other performers. "I think stand-up is such a raw art form – it's just you, a microphone and the audience. That’s always been the essence of it," he says. "When you're performing, you’re often in a town where you don’t know anyone.
"So, you go from being in a room with two or three thousand people, having an amazing gig, to 20 minutes later sitting alone in your hotel room, just in your pants, not knowing anyone.
"That contrast can be mentally tough. There is a lot of energy exerted in doing the show, so you have to make sure you're eating properly, exercising and getting fresh air. I think you have to stay on top of those things to keep your mental health in check."
Romesh Ranganathan is set to perform at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai, on October 25. The show starts at 8 pm; tickets start at Dh195; dubai.platinumlist.net
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGrowdash%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJuly%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESean%20Trevaskis%20and%20Enver%20Sorkun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERestaurant%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20Judah%20VC%2C%20TPN%20Investments%20and%20angel%20investors%2C%20including%20former%20Talabat%20chief%20executive%20Abdulhamid%20Alomar%2C%20and%20entrepreneur%20Zeid%20Husban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Background: Chemical Weapons
T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat
UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
The five pillars of Islam
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
1999 - 1st round
2000 - 1st round
2001 - Quarter-finalist
2002 - 1st round
2003 - Winner
2004 - Winner
2005 - Winner
2006 - Winner
2007 - Winner
2008 - Finalist
2009 - Winner
2010 - Quarter-finalist
2011 - Quarter-finalist
2012 - Winner
2013 - 2nd round
2014 - Finalist
2015 - Finalist
2016 - Semi-finalist
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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