CHENNAI: The evening was a gush of nostalgia for those adults who had seen P C Sorcar Young (the father) perform decades ago. Over the weekend, when P C Sorcar Young and son Master performed together, it was an overwhelming experience that depicted the mastery of the art of magic by the nine generations of the Sorcar family over centuries.
Indrajal, the name of the magic show coined as a tribute to late P C Sorcar, was a mixture of age-old magic tricks by P C Sorcar Young and recent additions by P C Sorcar Master. It engaged the various groups of people who had made their way to Rama Rao Kala Mandapam, T Nagar, expecting an exciting evening.
The constant yelps from children in the audience after every trick perhaps reminded others how age reduced at least a little of the ‘awe factor’ attached to magic shows. There was a sudden surge of murmur ing amid the audience when the magician invited people on to the stage to blindfold him before the handkerchief trick. Eager children who jostled across the hall to volunteer were sent back disappointed because the trick needed adults. It was amazing how a blindfolded Sorcar could rewrite everything written on the blackboard at the centre of the stage – sometimes even respond to writings like “I love you” with a “Me too!” – irrespective of whether it was a string of digits or a sentence!
The young magician of the family, P C Sorcar Master, who changed clothes more than he changed tricks, ensured he made his presence felt during the time fillers. The new talent was evident in his gestures and accent – almost in contrast to his magician father. A few tricks that he performed – like the vanishing Egyptian princess and disappearing ducks — were incredible. The water of India trick in which he pours water from a jug even after it is apparently emptied – with Sare Jahan Se Accha as its background score — became almost monotonous with seven repetitions of the trick in the two-hour show.
The trick that involved cutting a lady in half was the grand finale, and made the audience nervous about the thought of a woman being dissected by a chain saw. As eager children screamed, adults sat on the edge of their seats and cameras of different dailies tried to capture the excitement, it was obvious that it was a Saturday well spent.
