He can make things fly, make them disappear and appear again! Meet 53-year-old M D Kowshik, a student of veteran magician Uday Jadugar, who quit the glamorous world of Sandalwood to become a magician.
A law graduate, film director and actor by chance and a magician by choice, Kowshik’s story is an interesting one. Before his magical journey began, he directed feature films like Mukhawada, Mahayuddha, Vyarada Gombe, Prema Kaavya, War and Freedom and more than 500 documentaries on various topics. He has acted in Kannada films like Puttnaja, Huchha, Curfew, Marana Mrudaga and in more than 50 TV serials.
Kowshik started his magical journey ten years back when he was 43 years of age. Speaking to City Express on his shift from films to magic shows, he said, “I wanted a change in profession. Directing films became very monotonous. Once I directed a film produced by Uday Jadugar, which revolved around magic shows and went on to win the State Award. Uday was ecstatic and told me to ask for anything I wanted. I asked him to teach magic tricks. In the first instance, he thought I was kidding. But when I was persistent with my demand, he realised my seriousness and taught me the tricks in just 20 days.”
But what makes him different as a magician is his pleasing personality and his unique ways of conducting his shows. He said, “The turning point in my career as a magician was when people called me for shows and on my refusal for some reason, they would readily ask me if I could send someone else on my behalf. I realised there was no value attached to our profession and I had to be different from the league to increase my market value.”
A series of events led him to invent new and innovative ways of conducting his shows, making him one of the most sought after magicians in the city.
He says, “I started bringing in the elements of philosophy and literature along with my magic. In the backdrop of philosophical principles, I started doing my tricks which made it more interesting as well as interactive for the viewers.”
Today, apart from performing in birthday parties and various functions, he has travelled all over the world showcasing his magic traits. However, according to him, the demand for magic shows have come down drastically. He says, “Today, children are not amused by the simple tricks as they already know the secrets.”
However, Kowshik still makes a comfortable earning of `70,000 - `80,000 per month. He says, “A successful magician can survive no matter what the scenario is. The earning differs from place to place. In birthday parties, I charge not more than `2000-`3000. But if I am performing in a 5-star hotel, I charge more.”
