Learning magic
No one can teach you magic, says Pradip Chandra popularly called PC Sorcar (Junior). ``It’s a craft that one has to learn on one’s own. My father did not tutor me in the art of magic. He didn’t allow us while he was practising, and the room remained locked at other times. One day I managed to lay my hands on a set of keys to my father’s magic hideout. I used to sneak in and imagine myself on stage performing magic with great flamboyance.”
First show at Cuttack
Recalling his first show in Cuttack at Kala Vikas Kendra 35 years back, Sorcar says he still feels the pulse of Cuttack crowd that he had felt during his first show. “People are so lively here. Their spirit and liking for magic is unmatched.” Family and Maneka
Married to classical dancer and stage actress Jayshree Ghosh, Sorcar says she has learnt the tricks of the trade and is now an integral part of his magic contributing in designing costumes and choreographing the performance. Sorcar says daughter Maneka who associated with him in vanishing the Taj Mahal has earned the right to be his successor. “All my three daughters are interested in magic. If Maneka is good at illusions, Moubani is virtuous in incorporating tricks in drama. Maneka proved herself a worthy successor by performing the Big Bang trick, where she came out unscathed after being sheathed with dynamite sticks.”
Passing on to generations
Maneka is the ninth generation in the Sorcar family, carrying the magical gene of Krishna Chandra Dev, a siddha yogi who performed in the court of Emperor Jehangir in the 17th century. Enamoured by his feat, the emperor gifted him an entire village near Dacca. Dev family became landlords and adopted a new family name Sarkar. The late P.C. Sorcar (Senior) subsequently transformed Sarkar to ‘Sorcar’ indicating the family’s proficiency in the art of sorcery.
Magic and Science
He explains magic involves the ability to misdirect the people. It’s scientific, no hocus-pocus. ``What is magic today is science tomorrow. It involves psychological tricks and personal charm.”
Magic as a profession
With television and internet reaching homes, magic might have lost its secretive value, but Sorcar feels it is still a safe profession. “The challenge lies in innovation. We are not into occult business, that we need to hide something. Our aim is to keep thinking beyond the human mind can think, performing feats that human eye cannot percept,” he maintains.
University of magic
Aiming to teach magic to people, Sorcar plans to set up world’s first university solely devoted to magic. There will be a two-year MA course open to graduates of any stream. The academy is still in the planning stages and Sorcar hopes that his plans will take a concrete shape soon.
diana@expressbuzz.com