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
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
