These young magicians from India will leave you spellbound on Deccan Chronicle – Sept 29th 2015

People in India have been known to enjoy magical tricks and performances for centuries. With modern day distractions like the video games, cell phones and social media, one often wonders if the art of magical performance and illusion has become a dying art.

We bring to you some of the most popular young magicians in the country who are determined to keep the art of magic alive and kicking. Be it stage performances, risky stunts or even TV shows, these young guns are sure to cast a spell over you.

Neel Madhav

For Neel Madhav, a chance meeting with the legendary magician Jason Randall in the United States changed his life. The 22-year-old even has his own magic show called You Got Magic with Neel Madhav that airs on NDTV Good Times channel. “We were in the mystical Rann of Kutch, shooting an episode for the show and I instantly fell in love with the vastness of the pristine white desert.I came up with the idea of doing a disappearing act standing all alone in the middle of the desert. My team loved the idea and that’s when we got down to planning the trick and it was only after hours and hours of preparation and practice that the trick was ready. Thankfully, it all happened smoothly and the positive reactions the made it all worth it,” he shares.

Suhani Shah

Illusionist Suhani Shah always knew that she was destined to do something different in life. She had her first stage show at the tender age of seven. She believes that Indian magicians have a long way to go if they want to compete with the gadget wizardry and social media today. “Indian magicians should leverage technology for their tricks to keep gadget-obsessed audiences engaged and entertained.  We just have to move beyond the Indian Magic Rope trick,” she says. She also stresses that the beauty of the act lies in the presentation of the performance rather than the trick itself.

Rajesh Kumar

Rajesh admits that he wasn’t a big fan of magic performances earlier because he found the tricks to be old-fashioned and boring. But everything changed after he watched a video featuring the popular street magician Cris Angel. Kumar loves to challenge himself by trying out stunts that one considers to be risky. “I even fractured my arm when performing a particularly dangerous stunt called ‘Jaws of Death’ at the India’s Got Talentreality show this year,” he recalls.

Philip Abraham

Philip, who started doing magical performances from the age of 12, reveals that his trick of multiplying currency notes is such a hit among children that many of them sneak in backstage to beg him to teach them how to do it. He feels that magic shows are different from other forms of entertainment as they require one’s complete attention. “Tricks involving audience participation are the most challenging but they also tend to get the best reactions,” he opines.

Ugesh Sarcar

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that magic runs in Ugesh Sarcar’s veins. After all, he is the son of the world-renowned magical performer Prof. M. C. Sarcar, who was even presented with the title of the ‘Crown Magic Prince of India’ by the Late Lal Bahadur Shastri. “When I was very young, I would assist my dad in his stage performances. That was when I decided that I would be the next biggest name in magic,” he shares.

Article by Nahid Butt ,Deccan Chronicle 29th Sept 2015

 

National Integration Magic show organized by Survana Karnataka Kerala Samajam on Deepika Malayalam Newspaper dated Aug 15th 2014

National Integration Magic show organized by Survana Karnataka Kerala Samajam featured on Deepika Malayalam Newspaper

National Integration Magic show organized by Survana Karnataka Kerala Samajam featured on Deepika Malayalam Newspaper – Aug 15th 2014

 

No Matter How Grown Up We Are, We Will Be Fascinated By These 9 Indian Magicians on Polka cafe – May 20th, 2015

Magic is an art which uses the fundamental principles of science. But, in order to make it look authentic, it takes great amounts of expertise and practice! The modern street magic scene in India breaks all conventions and the inclusion of some sophisticated techniques makes it a startling experience for the viewers! Here, we list some of the magicians (in no particular order) who have added new dimensions to the Indian magic fraternity. Watch the magic unfold!

Neel Madhav

Neel Madhav truly represents the face of modern street magic in India. With his unconventional techniques like mind reading, neuro linguistic programming and criminology, he is quite the magician! He hosts his own weekly travel show called “You Got Magic with Neel Madhav” on NDTV Good Times.

Follow him here.

Ugesh Sarcar
Image credit: Knowyourstar

Ugesh prefers the word ‘mystician’ instead of magician to describe himself. Son of eminent magician Prof. M.C. Sarcar, Ugesh honed his skills under the guidance of his father. He performs various kinds of tricks which include card tricks and levitating objects, but mind reading is his specialty! He made his first television appearance in the show “Ugesh Sarcar’s 3rd Degree” which was aired on Bindaas channel. Ugesh began the trend of Street Magic in India. He is known as India’s First and Ultimate Street Magician and has been for the past 10 years.

Follow him here.

Rahul Kharbanda
Image credit: near.in
ILLUSIONIST Rahul Kharbanda has performed across the globe and dazzled audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on stage & in Street Magic.His non-stop show is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions wherein the audience witnesses stunning acts of grand illusions with creative appearances, levitation, mind-reading, disappearance and more.

His MAGICAL PLATTER includes:
Stand up Magic acts ~ Creative Product launches ~ Corporate Entertainment ~
Meet ups ~ Mentalism ~ Product Promotions

Follow him here.

Suhani Shah
Image credit: Suhani Shah

Suhani’s performances provide entertainment through grand illusions, mentalism acts, levitations, visual effects, blindfold presentations and audience participation – all combined with a dash of masti, delivered Suhani style! She has showcased her skills at educational institutions, corporate companies, IPL parties, celebrity nights and even international television.

Follow her here.

Magician Philip
Image credit: magician philip

Magician Philip is a young magician whose magnetism, personality and showmanship has influenced many and enthralled audiences all over. His first influences were magic books and magic shows. He received his training under the guidance of magicians Gopinath Muthukad and Rajamoorthy at Magic Academy. He is the founder of Indian Magicians and World of Magician portals!

Follow him here.

Magician Krish
Image credit: Magician Krish

Krish (not Krrish from the movies!) started his journey of magic at the tender age of 7! He has performed at many prestigious magic events across the country. One of his inventions, ‘Nacked in the Wind,’ won him the Best Magic Award in 2009! Mentalism is his forte.

Follow him here.

Magician Rajesh Kumar
Image credit: rajesh magic

It is a breathtaking experience to watch Rajesh Kumar perform his tricks. His shows are known for their intensity and amazing crowd participation. He was awarded the Jadu Shrimoni award by the Indian Brotherhood of Magicians and Jadu Kala Trust. This year he will participate in popular show called India’s Got Talent. In one of his trick he vanished the Delhi Pritampura tv tower in broad daylight.

Follow him here.

Magician Tejas
Image credit: gigstart

In a world of fickle careers and changing paths, Tejas had made up his mind about what he wanted from life at the age of 10 years. All the hard work he put into learning and practicing magic earned him the National Award! He went on to participate in the reality show ‘India’s Magic Star’ in 2010.

Follow him here.

S.A.C. Vasanth
Image credit: youtube

‘Master Magician’ S.A.C. Vasanth is a leading illusionist in India and is well-known for his innovative illusion performances. He has entertained millions over the past 11 years and has a steadfast reputation among his clients. He was awarded the Master Magician title in the show ‘India’s Magic Star’ in 2010.

Follow him here.

Did these desi magicians blow your mind away? Tell us in the comments section below!

Article by Saurav Naug , polkacafe 20th May 2015

Magic And A Mission – Tadpoles.in Aug 25th 2014

He can bring you back to life after beheading you or putting a sword through your neck. He can unshackle a handcuff in a matter of seconds. Wait, that’s not all, he can also levitate.

Whenever Phillip Tiju Abraham or popularly known as ‘Magician Philip’ hits the stage, he mesmerises his audience with not only his wizardry, but also his messages.

A Keralite who started magic at the age of 12 is now known as the PC Sorcar of South India. But unlike other magicians of our country, Phillip gives his audiences something more, a wholesome experience of wizardry and a message that resonates strong for years to come.

 “I saw a magic show when I was 9. I was inspired by the performance. At the end of the show, the organisers were distributing magic books, I got one. My first lessons were from that very book,”said Phillip who is also an IT Engineer.

In a span of one year, Philip made the best use of his book and learned the tricks. But he was yet to perform in front of an audience.

“My first live performance was at my school in front of about 40-50 students and a few teachers. It went very well. I was an instant hit.”

Soon, the doors to the world of magic opened wide for Phillip. The great Gopinath Muthukad, known for conveying messages to the society through magic took Philip under his wing.

The sorcery was at its peak.

“I have been trained by many great magicians. Rajamurthi, Subhash and of course Muthukad Sir to name a few,” said Philip.

Philip gives a vivid account of his first few tricks. The Mind Reading Trick in which audiences were asked to write their names on a piece of paper and they were put inside a box.  Without opening the cheats, Philip would know the name. Then, one of his most popular trick was, the breaking and restoring a match-stick trick.

“It is simple but nevertheless awe-inspiring.”

However, it was not until October 2010 that Philip became a household name in South India. Much like his guru, Philip too was keen on solving social problems.

The Dream of Gandhiji was the answer.

“I wanted to spread the message of Gandhi Ji through my magic. He has changed the world. I believe I have touched many lives with my performances,” said Philip.

The Dream of Gandhi Ji campaign was an idea to spread messages of peace and social harmony. It was a show in which audiences experienced life values and messages through magic.

It started on Oct 2, 2010 and ended on Jan 30, 2011.

Philip’s performances have been lauded by many states. In 2012, he received the Certificate of Honour from the Magic Academy of Bangalore. Earlier in 2007, he was given the perfect performer award by the Magic Academy of Trivandrum.

When asked about how he mastered his tricks, Philips had just one answer – Practice

“Just like a sportsperson, a magician needs to practice day in and day out.”

He also said that magic, unlike other countries has not grown in India because of lack of initiative. It is like running a business, he says.

“You have to be your own promoter.”

One of his favourite tricks is the Linging Ring trick in which he joins two rings without using his hands. However, his fans are always bedazzled by The Money Trick.

“In India if you do anything with money, people love it,” says Philip. In this trick he creates an illusion in which he starts multiplying money. The audiences jump out of their seats.

Currently, Philip performs most of his shows in Bangalore. He is also working for an IT company as a code writer.

His penchant for magic led him to develop two magic portals – indianmagicians.com andworldofmagicians.com, websites in which an aspiring magician can find information like magic courses, societies, history, competitions and tours.

His message for young magicians is straight and simple

“The magic behind a successful magician is hard-work. The trick is not to take short-cuts,” he said.

 

 

Article by Aninda Das, Tadpoles.in
http://tadpoles.in/magic-mission/

 

Magic with a mission

On the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi, a magician honoured his principles by performing tricks to compliment each belief

Almost a year ago, two 10-year-olds approached a magician at a show and asked him why Hindu kids don’t speak to their Muslim counterparts at school. Struck by the question, Philip Tiju Abraham (25), a magician, decided to take his show on the road to preach the principles of Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhigiri: Each trick Philip performs corresponds to the teachings of the Mahatma. Image Courtesy: Bindiya Carmeline Thomas

‘The Dream of Gandhi-ji: Magic with a Mission’ concluded its three month long journey across Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu at St Joesph’s College of Arts and Science on the 63rd anniversary of Gandhiji’s Samadhi. The very first show kicked off in the city on October 2 last year.

A software engineer by profession, Philip said, “I’ve been practising magic for a long time and I’ve always concluded my shows with a flag trick to show unity. That’s when those two kids approached me.” he added, “We’re supposed to be a secular country, but if this is the attitude now it’s only going to get worse as they grow up.”

Philip wowed the crowd after pulling out a plain mirror and asking the crowd to concentrate on the truth, and then flipped the plastic mirror to reveal Bapu’s face in the glass. Unity was shown when the tricolored Indian flag was put together just seconds after it was dismantled before the crowds.

Philip spent his weekends away from home visiting slums and orphanages to spread the message. Each trick Philip performs corresponds to the teachings of the Mahatma, which include truth, ahimsa and equality.

Philip, added, “The slums have been the best audience. They’re eager to learn. It’s most important for children to learn the principles of equality. They shouldn’t discriminate based on your background.”

Father Jose Pinto, principal, St Joesph’s College of Arts and Science, said, “It’s good for the students to know what the Mahatma’s principles are. His teachings are still very important. It was a good show, as well.”

Article by Bindiya Carmeline Thomas, Mid-day 31st Jan 2011
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/jan/310111-News-Bangalore-Mahatma-Gandhis-Samadhi-anniversary-St-Joesphs-College.htm

The illusionists – Bangalore Mirror – 25Apr2010

Bangalore Mirror : It’s the new face of magic. The real-life “Harry Potters” are corporate entertainers, adept at mind reading techniques and using technology to further the cause of hocus-pocus. Renuka Phadnis meets a bunch of new-age magicians in the city and comes back enchanted.

If you thought Bangalore is “muggly”, chew over this: five hundred people in this city potter with magic including conjuring, reading minds, doing illusion tricks and performing ventriloquism. Among these is a swish set that juggles magic with another job,  are tech-savvy to the hilt and have the corporate crowd fascinated by their tricks.

Prahalad and Poornima Acharya are a magician couple, who have had a long stint as independent performing magicians. Now, they say they are doing their bit for society by helping children be more confident through magic, shadow play and theatre. In the past, Prahalad Acharya has done Houdini-like tricks that are dangerous and death-defying escape stunts. He claims to be the only magician in India to escape from the Bangalore Central Prison (in just 8 seconds!). He says he has also performed the Houdini escape at the Jog Falls and has made 18-ft high the Golden Chariot of Udupi disappear. He also says he has perfomed the legendary Indian Rope Trick. Magic looks unbelievable but it is nothing but science and some sleight-of-hand by smart ‘magicians’. Prahalad Acharya, who is an exponent of ventriloquism, and a shadow play artiste says, “Magic is rational. There is no mesmerising, no power, no hypnotism. It is all about gadgets, the use of directions and optical illusions.”  Wife Poornima is one of the rare women magicians. She took up magic after marriage, and does independent magic shows that last upto two hours.

When I met Nakul Shenoy, he asked me to think of a person and to write his/her name on a piece of paper. He then took the paper and without looking at it, cut it into tiny bits and returned the bits to me. Then he named the person I had thought of! When I asked him how he did it, he smiled and said, “Magicians don’t tell.”  But Shenoy, who calls himself a ‘mindreader and corporate entertainer’ reminds us that magic is all science.  He has 15 years of professional experience in magic entertainment, teaches magic, and writes for magic magazines. One of three mindreaders in India, he networks with the best in the business, across the world. He is just back in the city after a jam session in Las Vegas with other magic folk such as Max Maven, Jeff Mcbride, Eugene Burger and Bob Cassidy. “It helps to learn some magic for people to remember you by. Master a few tricks and you will find it is a useful icebreaker in get-togethers, a fascinating hobby, and it is lovely when people recognise you as ‘the Magic Kid’. Magic is not for muggles. To learn it, you have to be rational, nifty, and cool to fool an audience,” he says.

Software engineer Tiju Philip, a Christ College product and intern at an IT firm, is a stage magician by hobby. He has been practising illusion andMagician Philip conjuring for 11 years now. As a 12-year-old, he saw a magic show and got a magic book. He did some shows and they were all successful. That got him hooked. Tiju has attended magic school — the Magic Academy. His ‘guru’ is magician Gopinath Muthukad. Now, Tiju has founded and designed a portal for Indian magicians called www.indianmagicians.com. He has also helped launch a portal called www.worldofmagicians.com . Tiju wants to tell the world that there is far more to India than the great Indian rope trick. Tiju, who creates ‘magic software’, says, “Magic today is about science and technology. Magicians from Bangalore are more tech-savvy than their counterparts elsewhere in the country. They have a presence on the net and use a lot of online sources and social media. As a community, Indian magicians go online for resources.” And image counts, so both Nakul and Tiju are on Twitter.

The Magic Shop
Giridhar’s shop has everything that will inspire you to do the ‘abracadabra’ bit
If you want to learn some magic, you don’t need to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Skip Diagon Alley, forget Platform 9 and 3/4. Bangalore has a space for magic folk and it is called The Magic Shop. This is a place where magic props are sold, magic classes are held, magic books and magazines are kept (for reference only!), and where magicians meet to read and discuss about their craft. Giridhar Kamath, the proprietor of Magic Shop, has performed magic for years. He has been  manufacturing and exporting magic apparatus for 20 years. Whatever your age, you will find some challenging magic props here. For a five-year-old kid, there is the ‘magic book’ – you open it and it is blank. Open it a second time, it is full of colourful drawings! Then there is the ‘magic dice box’. When you open it the first time, you see a small dice. Open the box a second time and you see a big dice! If you think that is for the kids, try this – a ball that moves and stops at your command.
Magic Facts
* There are 10,000 magicians in India, both known and unknown, and 500 are in Bangalore.
* Magicians meet at their conferences. One such international meet is called ‘Vismaya’. At the last Vismaya meet held in 2008 in Trivandrum, 1,000 Indian magicians India attended.
* See www.indianmagicians.com for a magicians directory, dealers, institutions, societies and clubs, magicians on Twitter.
* Within the next one year, an event of magic will happen in Bangalore.
* The next magic event is on May 31 – the Women Magicians Meet, Trivandrum.
* The Academy of Magical Sciences is in Trivandrum.
* Magicians read and write for Vismayam Magical News.
* Magicians get prizes for good work too. They are called Wizards Award member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (USA).
* Where do magic people do R&D? Magic & Allied Arts Development & Research Institute
Article by Renuka Phadnis , Bangalore Mirror 25Apr2010, Page 11