Protul Chandra Sarkar, also known as PC Sorcar and regarded as ‘Maharaja of Magic in western nations, used to call himself the world’s greatest magician.
In the late 1950s when TV was in its infancy, Sorcar (rechristened his surname as it sounded like ‘sorcerer’) did something which put him in a different league altogether.
During a magic show on BBC, he had his assistant on a table and sliced her with a giant buzzsaw in two. Like other western conjurers and the existing practice, he too tried to revive her but failed.
Soon after the presenter stepped in and said ‘sorry, the program is going over-time, we have to cut the transmission now’.
It was a gimmick but the viewers thought that what they had seen was a woman being murdered live.
After that all his shows were ‘sold out’ and he didn’t look back ever after and went on to become a legend.
So much so, that Sorcar was conferred a Padma Shri followed by a street in Kolkata, the city of his birth, named after him. He was also awarded The Sphinx, known as the Oscar of Magic and India Post issued a commemorative stamp to honour him.
After Sorcar, many illusionists like PL Sundarka, K Lal, PC Sorcar (Junior) kept charming people but the post –Sorcar (Sr.) scene was never the same again.
Moreover, with countless forms of entertainment available and rapid growth of social media, the art of magic is believed to have lost much of its luster and on the verge of disappearance.
But there are some young practitioners of magic who beg to differ and are determined to carry forward the tradition ahead and keep it alive and kicking.
Here’s what they have to say.
Jiban Mishra
The 42-year-old professional magician and mind reader of Nakchi in Angul district, has been entertaining people as a Residential Magician at a star hotel of Bhubaneswar for the last 12 years.
Jiban says he made up his mind to become a magician after watching a show of great magician Panna Lal Sundarka aka PL Sundarka. He also learnt a few tricks during his school days from J Raja Rao, who used to come all the way from Andhra Pradesh and would go around in cycles to perform magic.
Inspired, he formed a group of 20 called ‘Jiban’s Indrajaal’ which lasted for 3-4 years. Along with academics, he went on to learn new skills of magic in Odisha’s first and the only magic school S S Academy set up by Sukesh Patnaik and Santosh Chowdhury.
“Though my shows attracted a sizable number of audiences, parents never liked me opting magic as a profession. It was not a great career option for them. Since I had a passion to learn the skill, I continued to perform magic shows and managed to complete my Masters in Chemistry. Despite the lack of encouragement from the family, I managed to carve a space for myself in the field. I am the first magician in Odisha to land a job in Mayfair Hotel and Resorts, Bhubaneswar. To have performed for innumerable shows and being adored for my work is what I have always wanted,” says Jiban.
India is considered a land of magic and magicians like PC Sorcar enchanted people across the globe like no one did. Despite the glorious history, the art is believed to be on the verge of extinction. However, Jiban is not ready to accept it.
Disputing the perception, he says, “The magicians are now better placed than before. If one is competent, it’s not very difficult to earn a sum of Rs 50,000 per month in Odisha. Magicians are joining star hotels and cruise ships with fat salaries. This apart, they can earn handsomely from marriage and birthday parties, corporate programmes, meetings and brand launching events.”
He will not hesitate to put his son in the line. Moreover, he will be more than happy and feel proud if the latter wants to make a career as a magician, confirmed Jiban.
Jiban’s tips
Asked about the secret of his success, Jiban says, “Practice and practice is all that it takes to become a successful magician. It is not just skills but verbal eloquence as well that helps you excel.”
Bishnu Prasad
Bishnu Prasad of Bhubaneswar doesn’t look like a typical magician with a top hat, goatee and a tailcoat. His dressing sense didn’t escape the attention of Malaika Arora and Karan Johar, the judges of India’s Got Talent (IGT), when he performed in the show. The skills and communication with the audience is more important than one’s appearance, says Bishnu.
He is not amongst the ones who believe that magic is a dying art.
“Magic still retains its glamour. Yes, the pandemic has cast its shadow and shows were not held. But the real magicians have never quit. Moreover, they honed their skills during this forced break and are raring to go. Now magic is not just a medium of entertainment, the Central and state governments are using it as a medium to promote the welfare schemes and create awareness to ward off superstitions,” adds Bishnu.
Misuse of magic
Bishnu, however, says, magic is often misunderstood because some ‘madaris’ and charlatans use it as a ‘Black Art’. But, it is never accepted in the magic world. Magic is a skill for exhibiting an art for entertainment purpose. When magic is used for exploitation it is definitely misuse of art. There are several sections under IPC for legal actions against those who use magic to mislead people. There are a number of examples where magicians have conducted charity shows, corporate events and have empanelled with prestigious institutions like the Red Cross. So magic can never be called as Black Magic, explains the magicians who made Odisha proud performing at IGT, a national level reality show.
Jadugar Kumar
Jadugar Kumar is an automobile engineer by education but a magician by profession.
Over the last three decades, he has performed in schools, birthday parties, corporate programmes, NGO programs, product promotion events, television shows and all kinds of exhibits. He has also performed abroad and managed to get his name registered on Guinness Book of World Record and World Record India.
Despite his accomplishment, Kumar believes that the profession is often looked down upon.
“The current scenario of magic is definitely not great, but only COVID can’t be held responsible for that. The situation has turned unfavorable for the magicians but it is also true for every other profession. So, let’s talk about pre-covid times. Were the scenarios for the magicians better at that time? No. People are ready to spend a good amount of money on other art forms but when it comes to magic, they are a bit reluctant to pay,” says Kumar.
He continues: “Actually, we the magicians are responsible for such a condition. Many of us don’t focus on the artistic value of magic. There are a lot of organisers who ask magicians for discounts. Look at David Copperfield, what a performer he is! I am not talking about the tricks he performed but I am talking about the grandeur of his performance. The way he dresses up and manages his standard; can anyone ask him for a discount to perform a programme? Some of the Indian Magicians are good with maintaining their standard but the majority is not. Our self esteem is low, it could be because of the way society treats the magicians.”
Magicians or artistes!
Kumar adds, “We need to change the mindset of the public if we want magic to survive and prosper. It can be done by presenting yourself as an artiste. Most of the magicians do invest in magic apparatus but forget to invest in their own personality. Magic is not only about a trick; your words, your appearance and your personality add many folds to it. My brothers have always assisted me; one takes care of my appearance and designs my clothes for the show, while the other prepares scripts. My mentor, music director Jatin Das arranges and composes music in my show. So, it is never a one man show, but a complete team work.”
Magic in mind
Many people still believe that magic is all about spells whereas the reality is, it is nothing but science, says Kumar. “My programmes are packed with drama, science and digital magic. But as I always say, magic is less about what I perform and more about what your mind believes it to be. Magic is there in your mind only,” he concludes.
Box
Iconic Acts
- PC Sorcar Jr ‘vanished’ the Taj Mahal for two minutes in Agra into thin air, leaving a blank space at the site. He performed the illusion about 400 metres from the Taj, standing on the bank of the Yamuna river November 8, 2000.
- Sorcar also made the Victoria Memorial ‘disappear’ on the 300th anniversary of Calcutta, and vanished a train full of passengers before a large crowd at Bardhaman Junction, West Bengal in 1992.
- David Copperfield astonished everybody when he ‘walked’ right through The Great Wall of China.
- David Blaine, USA, going without food for 44 days or holding your breath underwater for 17 minutes, frozen in ice for more than three days, he has tested the limits of mind
