Having peddled his bag of tricks across the globe and penned 20-odd books, PC Sorcar, Jr has now come out with a book on his illustrious father—the one and only PC Sorcar, Sr.
So, what prompted him to write about his father? “Isn’t it natural that I should be writing about him? After all no one knew him like I did,” he smiles. Talking about his fondest memories of his father, he says, “As a child I always thought I had two fathers—one was the normal ‘baba’ who would discipline me, and the other was the larger-than-life Maharaja-like ever-smiling magician.”
During his Japan tour in 1971, PC Sorcar, Sr had a fatal heart attack. His son, PC Sorcar, Jr, continued to spread the magic. “I grew up in an environment of magic. I would see my father float above the chair instead of sit on it. I thought that was normal. Later when I went to a friend’s place and saw his father actually sit on a chair, I was surprised,” he says.
A consummate performer and a fascinating storyteller, whether it’s onstage or off, he tells of how, as a youth, he was banned from his father’s office but would peep in from a skylight and learn the tricks. Later he would sneak into the room when his father was not there and perform in front of an imaginary audience. “We (the Sorcars) breathe, eat, talk and walk magic,” smiles the legend.
But does magic still cast the same spell as before or is it going the way of other forms of entertainment that have been upstaged by TV and the internet? The illusionist claims that his shows have seen a dramatic increase in audience numbers. “There is a magician in every man’s heart,” he adds.
“Magic will remain magic. Though this procession of reality shows will go on, they can’t kill the classical forms of entertainment. The art of magic is flourishing. The main thing is presentation. No matter in which manner the food is cooked, it is the way in which it is presented is what captures the interest,” he says.
“Always remember, what is magic today, will be science tomorrow,” says he before signing off.
The Book
PC Sorcar is one of the greatest magicians of the 20th century. He single-handedly revived a languishing Indian art and brought it to the world stage. This book is a pictorial account of his metamorphosis into the Maharaja of Magic from very humble beginnings. Written by his son, who was once his apprentice and now carrying on the proud tradition, this is a deeply personal view of the life and times of a towering figure. Photographs culled from various sources throw light on the magician as well as the man behind the scenes.