Ramon Tikaram
Encyclopedia
Ramon Pramod Junior Tikaram (born May 16, 1967 in Singapore
) is a British
stage and screen actor of Indo-Fijian
and Malaysian
descent.
soldier Pramod Tikaram and Sarawak
ian mother Fatimah Rohani. His younger sister is singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram
. Tikaram is the great-nephew of Sir Moti Tikaram
who was the first Lord Chief Justice of an independent Fiji and the world's longest serving national ombudsman.
After attending six primary schools in the United Kingdom and Germany, Tikaram was sent to the Duke of York's Royal Military School
in Dover
, Kent
in 1978. Achieving proficiency in all things military including firearms and the tuba, his early affinity for the theatre was inspired by legendary drama teacher Ben Johnson, himself a former pupil.
Tikaram has three children and now divides his time between London and Wiltshire.
in 1982 and after appearing in Tom Stoppard
's After Magritte
at the Edinburgh Fringe
in 1984, Tikaram decided to read an economics and politics degree at the University of London
, switching to English at the University of Kent
. He gained a first class honours degree in 1990. Ostensibly moving to Dublin to follow in the footsteps of his heroes James Joyce
and W.B. Yeats
, he ended up writing and recording for Deutsche Schallplatten
in Berlin
. In 1992 he released an album of songs Chill and Kiss throughout Europe. He returned to acting in 1994, gaining profile for his performances in the film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love
in 1995 and the BBC television drama
This Life
in which he played the character Ferdy.
In 2002 he played the part of Eddy Weaver in 4 episodes of the remade TV series Crossroads
.
Tikaram has also enjoyed a varied and successful theatrical career since his portrayal of Judas Iscariot
in the 1997 West End
production of Jesus Christ Superstar
at the Lyceum. His other acclaimed performances include the portrayal of Rama
in The National Theatre
's 2002 adaptation of The Ramayana, and Gaddafi
in Gaddafi: A Living Myth, a dub/punk opera by Asian Dub Foundation
, staged by the English National Opera
in 2006. Other television credits include Tokaya in the 2005 BBC Television
production Krakatoa - The Last Days
, BBC TV's Silent Witness
and Immie in Penny Woolcock
's film Mischief Night
.
In Dream Team
he played Harchester United Chairman Prashant Dattani who was a popular to fans at the time
In 2009, Tikaram appeared in the BBC
daytime
mini series Moving On
. He also appeared in three episodes of the ITV
science fiction television programme Primeval
.
In October 2009, it was announced that Tikaram would appear in the BBC One
soap opera
EastEnders
. He played the part of Qadim Shah, father of the already established character Amira Shah
. He appeared on-screen in the role from 17 December 2009 to 29 April 2010 in two separate stints, he returned on 6th September 2011. Tikaram also provided voice acting for the character of Gabe Weller in the 2009 video game Dead Space: Extraction
.
Tikaram returned to Videogaming by providing his voice and likeness for Gabe Weller again in the Downloadable content for Dead Space 2
Dead Space 2: Severed
On 13 June 2010 Tikaram also appeared on Jackanory Junior, a Cbeebies daytime television programme, to read 'The Little Bear Stories'.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
stage and screen actor of Indo-Fijian
Indians in Fiji
Indo-Fijians are Fijians whose ancestors came from India and various parts of South Asia, South-East Asia and Asia itself. They number 313,798 out of a total of 827,900 people living in Fiji...
and Malaysian
Malaysian Malay
In Malaysia, the Malay population is defined by Article 160 of the Malaysian Constitution as someone born to a Malaysian citizen who professes to be a Muslim, habitually speaks the Malay language, adheres to Malay customs and is domiciled in Malaysia or Singapore...
descent.
Early and personal life
Tikaram is the son of Fijian-Indian British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
soldier Pramod Tikaram and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
ian mother Fatimah Rohani. His younger sister is singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram is a British pop/folk singer-songwriter, best known for the hits "Twist in My Sobriety" and "Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, Ancient Heart...
. Tikaram is the great-nephew of Sir Moti Tikaram
Moti Tikaram
Sir Moti Tikaram, KBE, has been a judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji, the first ombudsman of independent Fiji and a soccer administrator. He was the first local person to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji...
who was the first Lord Chief Justice of an independent Fiji and the world's longest serving national ombudsman.
After attending six primary schools in the United Kingdom and Germany, Tikaram was sent to the Duke of York's Royal Military School
Duke of York's Royal Military School
The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, more commonly called the Duke of York’s, is a co-educational Academy with military traditions in Dover, Kent, open to pupils whose parents are serving or have served in any branch of the United Kingdom armed forces for a minimum of 4 years...
in Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 1978. Achieving proficiency in all things military including firearms and the tuba, his early affinity for the theatre was inspired by legendary drama teacher Ben Johnson, himself a former pupil.
Tikaram has three children and now divides his time between London and Wiltshire.
Career
After attending the National Youth TheatreNational Youth Theatre
The National Youth Theatre is a registered charity in London, Great Britain, committed to creative, personal and social development of young people through the medium of creative arts....
in 1982 and after appearing in Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
's After Magritte
After Magritte
After Magritte is a surreal comedy written by Tom Stoppard in 1970. It was first performed at the Green Banana Restaurant in London.-Synopsis:...
at the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
in 1984, Tikaram decided to read an economics and politics degree at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, switching to English at the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
. He gained a first class honours degree in 1990. Ostensibly moving to Dublin to follow in the footsteps of his heroes James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
and W.B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
, he ended up writing and recording for Deutsche Schallplatten
VEB Deutsche Schallplatten
From the 1950s until the 1980s the VEB Deutsche Schallplatten was the monopolistic music publisher in the German Democratic Republic.On August 12, 1946, the East Berlin singer and actor Ernst Busch got permission by Soviet military administration to institute a publishing house for music.On...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. In 1992 he released an album of songs Chill and Kiss throughout Europe. He returned to acting in 1994, gaining profile for his performances in the film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love is a 1996 American drama film directed by Mira Nair. The film takes its title from the ancient Indian text, the Kama Sutra, but this only serves as a common link between the characters....
in 1995 and the BBC television drama
BBC television drama
BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom...
This Life
This Life
This Life is a BBC television drama that was produced by World Productions and screened on BBC Two. Two series were broadcast in 1996 and 1997 and a reunion special in 2007....
in which he played the character Ferdy.
In 2002 he played the part of Eddy Weaver in 4 episodes of the remade TV series Crossroads
Crossroads
Crossroads, or crossroad, or cross road may refer to:* Intersection , a road junction where two or more roads meet-Music:* "Cross Road Blues", a blues song by Robert Johnson, later recorded as "Crossroads" by many other musicians...
.
Tikaram has also enjoyed a varied and successful theatrical career since his portrayal of Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
in the 1997 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
at the Lyceum. His other acclaimed performances include the portrayal of Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
in The National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
's 2002 adaptation of The Ramayana, and Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
in Gaddafi: A Living Myth, a dub/punk opera by Asian Dub Foundation
Asian Dub Foundation
Asian Dub Foundation are a British electronica band that plays a mix of rapcore, dub, dancehall and ragga, also using rock instruments, acknowledging a punk influence...
, staged by the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
in 2006. Other television credits include Tokaya in the 2005 BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
production Krakatoa - The Last Days
Krakatoa - The Last Days
Krakatoa: The Last Days is a BBC Television docudrama that premiered on May 7, 2006 on BBC One...
, BBC TV's Silent Witness
Silent Witness
Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was...
and Immie in Penny Woolcock
Penny Woolcock
Penny Woolcock is a British filmmaker, opera director, and screenwriter. She was raised in a British community in Montevideo, speaking English and going to English schools...
's film Mischief Night
Mischief night (film)
Mischief Nights is a British comedy film released in 2006. It is the third installment of the Tina Trilogy following on from Tina Goes Shopping and Tina Takes a Break . However, unlike the previous two Channel 4 films Mischief Night broadens its scope to consider the wider community that Tina...
.
In Dream Team
Dream Team (TV series)
Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
he played Harchester United Chairman Prashant Dattani who was a popular to fans at the time
In 2009, Tikaram appeared in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
daytime
Daytime television
Daytime television is the general term for television shows produced that are intended to air during the daytime hours on weekdays. This article is about American daytime television, for information about international daytime television see Daytime television....
mini series Moving On
Moving On (TV series)
Moving On is a British television series consisting of standalone contemporary dramas first shown on daytime BBC One. Although originally broadcast in an early-afternoon slot, less than a month after the initial airing the first series was repeated to an evening audience...
. He also appeared in three episodes of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
science fiction television programme Primeval
Primeval
Primeval or primæval may refer to:* Primeval, a British science fiction television series.* Primeval , a 2007 film* Primeval , a score of music from the BBC TV series Doctor Who...
.
In October 2009, it was announced that Tikaram would appear in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. He played the part of Qadim Shah, father of the already established character Amira Shah
Amira Shah
Amira Shah is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Preeya Kalidas. The girlfriend, and later wife, of Syed Masood , she first appeared on screen in the episode broadcast on 7 May 2009. She returned on 10 October 2011.The character was described as high maintenance,...
. He appeared on-screen in the role from 17 December 2009 to 29 April 2010 in two separate stints, he returned on 6th September 2011. Tikaram also provided voice acting for the character of Gabe Weller in the 2009 video game Dead Space: Extraction
Dead Space: Extraction
Dead Space: Extraction has received favorable reviews, with an average rating of 82/100 on review aggregator Metacritic. Official Nintendo Magazine awarded the game 84 percent and called it "A first rate introduction to one of the finest survival horror franchises of recent years." The website...
.
Tikaram returned to Videogaming by providing his voice and likeness for Gabe Weller again in the Downloadable content for Dead Space 2
Dead Space 2
Dead Space 2 is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the sequel to Dead Space. Unlike its predecessor, Dead Space 2 has a multiplayer mode. A Collector's Edition is...
Dead Space 2: Severed
On 13 June 2010 Tikaram also appeared on Jackanory Junior, a Cbeebies daytime television programme, to read 'The Little Bear Stories'.
Selected film and television credits
- PrimevalPrimevalPrimeval or primæval may refer to:* Primeval, a British science fiction television series.* Primeval , a 2007 film* Primeval , a score of music from the BBC TV series Doctor Who...
- The Mighty BooshThe Mighty BooshThe Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
- This LifeThis LifeThis Life is a BBC television drama that was produced by World Productions and screened on BBC Two. Two series were broadcast in 1996 and 1997 and a reunion special in 2007....
- Kama Sutra: A Tale of LoveKama Sutra: A Tale of LoveKama Sutra: A Tale of Love is a 1996 American drama film directed by Mira Nair. The film takes its title from the ancient Indian text, the Kama Sutra, but this only serves as a common link between the characters....
- Mile HighMile HighMile High is a British television drama based on the lives of the cabin crew members of "fresh!", a budget airline based in London. The name of the show comes from the "Mile High Club". The show was broadcast on Sky1 from 2003 to 2005.-Background:...
- CrossroadsCrossroadsCrossroads, or crossroad, or cross road may refer to:* Intersection , a road junction where two or more roads meet-Music:* "Cross Road Blues", a blues song by Robert Johnson, later recorded as "Crossroads" by many other musicians...
- Dream TeamDream Team (TV series)Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
- Mischief NightMischief night (film)Mischief Nights is a British comedy film released in 2006. It is the third installment of the Tina Trilogy following on from Tina Goes Shopping and Tina Takes a Break . However, unlike the previous two Channel 4 films Mischief Night broadens its scope to consider the wider community that Tina...
- My Spy FamilyMy Spy FamilyMy Spy Family is a live action children's comedy series created by Paul Alexander that is currently being aired on the Qubo blocks in the USA, Boomerang in the UK, on Cartoon Network in South Africa, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Iceland and Denmark and on TG4 in Ireland. It is produced by...
- EastendersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
External links
- BBC News Online: "This Life's Ferdy not coming back" from October 2006