BENGALURU: Imagine walking down the street going about your day, and encountering a stranger who promises to "show you something cool" They may borrow a book or water bottle to perform a trick or flounder with a pack of cards they are carrying.
Distinct from staged performances, professional magicians are also experimenting with the concept of street magic. Spontaneous performances on roads, malls and restaurants, are all part of the niche breed of street magic.
In contrast to foreign countries where street magic has been common place, in Bengaluru, it’s still an up and coming trend. When Ugesh Sarcar, a professional magician who has worked with the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Hritihik Roshan to
train them in flourishes, magic and staging illusions for films, was looking for other professionals in street magic, he found none. “There was no such concept in India. People thought I was a Madari (snake charmer). But, the truth is that street magic is far more classier,” says Ugesh.
That was 1997. Fast forward to 2000 and Ugesh himself started finding the once unknown concept gaining rapid popularity. "I would randomly approach someone, on MG Road or Brigade Road, at coffee shops and restaurants of five star hotels. I would bend a spoon they were using, borrow their credit card and have it spin in mid air without touching even it. Generally, these performances range anywhere between a few seconds to 10 minutes, depending on the kind of audience,” says Ugesh, who runs All India Magic Academy Trust in J.C Nagar.
Nikhil Raj, a graduate from Christ University who has been popular in the city’s magic industry for a while, points out that street magic is not as popular as stage magic yet. “It is a completely different experience. There are no huge props, stage lighting, material and equipment, acoustics. I pack light if I am performing on the streets. When I perform on the street, I might carry nothing at all. I just borrow someone’s napkin, turn a coin or bottle into something else or produce a cockroach from the person's hand, out of thin air” he says.
From the audience’s point of view, Nikhil explains that people are just going about their day and don’t expect someone to walk up to them, and start performing tricks. Having performed in Malleswaram, MG Road, malls and restaurants, Nikhil says that unlike staged set ups where the audience is expecting entertainment, street magic finds the most interesting reactions from unsuspecting passersby. “Some are stunned and simply stare. Others scream with surprise and ask, how did you do that? Others give us a shout-out. Some even run away in fear,” Nikhil says.
Slow and steady
Street magic may have had a slow start but it’s steadily picking up. One of the many reasons professional magicians say this concept hasn’t picked up faster than it should, is because Indians are not as ‘free-spirited’ as foreigners.
According to magician Rakesh Syam, who has performed in over 43 countries, foreigners are more expressive and open to new ideas. “Here, people tend to scrutinise what a magician does or how he or she managed to pull-off a trick,” he says.
For instance, when he’s table-hopping at restaurants, and he approaches an Indian family to perform tricks, often the wife looks at the husband for permission and then they nod, still unsure. “I am not even charging them. I just want to make them smile,” he says.
Ugesh admits that street magic is much more challenging then stage magic, and not every magician is willing to put in the hard work. “ Street magic is not about what you do but how you do it. Anybody can perform tricks but here, you have to get the audience’s attention in a busy location. You have to work on your personality, body language, understanding the psychology of people and the way you connect with the audience. You must be able to gauge how much you can push them as well,” Ugesh says.
But despite these challenges, Nikhil feels that the reaction from the audience when caught off- guard, makes all the hardwork worth it. He adds, “It’s often assumed that children make a better audience, but I’ve found that adults enjoy street magic just as much.”