Trick and treat

The classrooms are devoid of any equipment,which is generally stored in the godown to prevent damage. For the uncomplicated tricks,the apparatus is carried in hand. Any magic can be divided into four partstransformation,vanishing,releasing and floating. Yet it requires constant research and years to develop something that fades away in a fraction of a second. Some tricks click and are created in a moment and others take months to develop, says Raghuvir.
The father-son duo also holds workshops across the country. I make sure I teach magic in the form of a story. From getting rid of stage fear to the right expressions and the ability to present a trick,magic demands it all. The audience is watching you. To overcome their skepticism is the toughest trick,” he says.
Tanvi Salkar
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No witches and wizards have passed through its portals but the Karnataka Magic Academy Trust in Bangalore has seen a few odd students in its 30-year-old history: postmen and policemen,aspiring pilots and locksmiths. A spell or two never harmed anyone in a tight spot now,did it?
The school was set up by 68-year-old M.C.
Sarcar,who learnt the art as an eight-year-old in Punjab. He moved to Bangalore in 1972 after an encouraging response to a series of shows he performed here. One of the schools alumni has found fame on television: son Ugesh Sarcar,who hosts a show on street magic 3rd Degree on UTV Bindass.

Over the years,3,000 students have gone through the school,which is housed in a modest building in Bangalore. Children form a big chunk of the eager learners. Sarcars elder son Prince says he perceives a greater interest in magic these days. And you can see it in the school. The classrooms have just got a fresh coat of gaudy paint,furniture is being refurbished,magic kits in new packages are strewn around and colourful posters of old shows are pinned up.
Sarcar,who looks more the neighbourhood uncle than a master of the dark arts,settles down in a cosy leather sofa for a chat. Magic is an Indian art. In the old days,it was associated with superstition. Much of our early efforts were to use magic to dispel the wrong notions people held. We tried to show that it is an art,even a science,that everyone can learn with practice, he says.

The academy charges Rs 18,000 for a full-year professional course and Rs 20,000 for a three-month hobby course. The fee includes the cost of magic kits which students can later use to perform shows. Over 35 students are registered with the school for various courses currently,says Sarcar. Children are taught how to perform tricks using a wide range of props. The module has lessons on sleight-of-hand tricks,illusion tricks,pocket tricks and table tricks.
Anil Gupta,a 49-year-old locksmith,passed out of the academy in 2003 and is now a professional magician. Magic has a market these days. There are product launches,corporate shows,birthday parties and weddings. A magician can earn a neat sum, he says.
Some wish to keep their skills a secret. One of our students was a policeman at the government secretariat. Everything was set for him to perform at a private party. But he backed off. He thought his bosses would object to his double life, says Sarcar. Or perhaps he didnt want to let them in on his disappearing acts before every meeting.
Johnson TA
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Keralas love for the enchantments of Gabriel Garcia Marquezs magic realism is well-known. Its passion for magic is no less strong. Since 1996,the Magic Academy in Thiruvananthapuram has catered to the magician in the Mallu and trained nearly 1,000 students.
The late writer Malayatoor Ramakrishnan was the sole inspiration. He used to remind me about the necessity for an institute to sustain the art of magic,which is more a science than occult, says magician Gopinath Muthukad,the founder.

The school has grown to a hub for professional magicians. It not just teaches magic,but sells equipment for performers,organises international conventions and conducts refresher programmes for professional and street performers.
One of its high-profile students is former Kerala chief secretary Lizzy Jacob,who joined the school two years ago to learn the ropes of,well,the rope trick. Courses in magic are also in demand with professionals looking for overseas jobsfor the strangest of reasons. A certificate in magic in a techie’s bio-data would surprise the interview board. A few tricks can even help break the ice with the interviewer, says K P Sivakumar,spokesperson of the academy. The best part of the school: its magic shop,stocked with multiplying balls,diminishing cards and wands.
Shaju Philip