Hailing from the U.K., 44-year-old Romesh Ranganathan returned to the American stage on Jan. 28, 2023, for the first time since his American debut in 2018. At the time, he had launched his show,“Just Another Immigrant” and appeared on late night shows like “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Shortly after his visit, however, the COVID-19 pandemic prohibited Ranganathan from traveling, especially to the U.S. 

Between 2018 and now, Ranganathan has continued to work and appear in multiple hit shows. He appeared in the British game show “A League of Their Own,” which consists of comedians, celebrities and athletes who compete against each other to test their knowledge of sports. He also created his own solo travel documentary, “The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan,” where he visits some of the most dangerous but beautiful places on earth. Additionally, his stand-up comedy show “The Cynic” is on Netflix. 

Ranganathan published an autobiography in 2018 titled “Straight Outta Crawley: Memoirs of a Distinctly Average Human Being,” followed by his second book, “As Good As It Gets: Life Lessons from a Reluctant Adult,” published in 2020. Ranganathan recently released his own award-winning podcast titled “Hip Hop Saved My Life,” which discusses his love for hip-hop that he’s had since childhood. With his friend Tom Davis, he also co-hosts the “Wolf and Owl” podcast, where they take on listeners’ problems and discuss some of their own.

“The Cynic’s Mixtape,” Ranganathan’s last U.K. tour in 2020, sold out completely across the country. While he is not back in the U.S. for a stand-up tour, he returned to New York City for a one-off show hosted at The Town Hall.

In the opening of his set, Ranganathan briefly mentioned that his last time in the U.S. was during the Trump administration. He clearly stated that he does not get political during his sets, but he thought “the U.S. felt strange during that time.” He said that he was glad to be back in the U.S. now that the pandemic has settled a little bit since his departure. 

Ranganathan, while famous for his self-deprecating comedy, informed the crowd that he believes the majority of success could be chalked up to luck. He stated that while a Sri Lankan but British native is a niche demographic for a comedian, his environment enabled his success. Ranganathan added that he believes he would not have been able to enjoy and nourish his level of popularity if it weren’t for his physical environment and the people in it.

Ranganathan also spoke in length about his marriage. While he and his wife have a playful and sarcastic relationship, he admits to questioning if humans are meant to be in one marriage for the rest of their lives. For instance, he shared that during quarantine, his marriage was oftentimes tested as he and his wife were stuck together throughout the day with no ability to escape each other’s presence. Aside from one “government mandated walk,” Ranganathan testified that quarantine proved extremely difficult, leading him to question if marriage is really meant for people. 

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Accompanied by his friend Snips, a U.K. DJ who goes by the name Snips Music, Ranganathan put on a comedy show that elicited roaring laughter from the audience. 

As an avid stand-up watcher and critic, I thought that Ranganathan’s show was brilliant. The Town Hall was packed to the brim with people of different ages and backgrounds, yet his jokes elicited a laugh from all. He often called on audience members and drew inspiration from the crowd. From talking to several fans in the audience, it seems as though Ranganathan’s comedic timing is his selling point; fans love how he is able to pause and speak at the right moments in order to intensify his jokes. 

Ranganathan is currently planning another U.K. tour in 2024.