The lights dim after three bells, and the beats of a nostalgic theme song fill the auditorium. Children lean forward on the edge of their seats — some in eager anticipation, and others simply trying to see past the heads in front — but all of them concentrate with their wide eyes on the stage. Grandparents and parents, seated beside them, whisper stories from their childhood, when they experienced the same thrill, waiting to watch Sorcar senior step into the spotlight. As applause echoes, a magician emerges from the seemingly empty ‘Family Album Box’, continuing the tradition of 'Indrajal'.
After nearly a decade, the Sorcar magic legacy comes to Chennai, and bringing this is Pourush, the grandson of PC Sorcar Sr. — fondly known as the ‘Father of Modern Indian Magic’ and ‘The Maharaja of Magic’ — and the son of PC Sorcar Young.
PC Sorcar Sr. built the Sorcar brand nearly a century ago as he picked up the hitherto neglected practice of magic from Indian street magicians. Later, he went on to awe people across the globe, starting from Japan, Australia, and USA. A few of his notable tricks are the disappearance of the Eiffel Tower for five seconds, changing the time in Japan, and cutting a lady in half. Following in his footsteps, his son and grandson are upholding the legacy.
PC Sorcar (Pourush)’s show has been running every weekend since June 2025 at the Museum Theatre, Egmore, offering a journey through India’s magical past built by his ancestors. “It’s hard to believe we gave Chennai such a long interval,”
Pourush says, moved about being back in a city that he considers his “second home or professional home.” His debut in Tamil Nadu was in Coimbatore, but Chennai is where the magic came alive for him.
The show is divided into two parts with an interval where a 10-minute documentary about the history of PC Sorcar Sr. is presented. While the first part of the show contains the classic acts, the second part includes a couple of small acts before the grand finale. Rooted in the past, the highlighted acts performed by Pourush along with his five person crew are ‘Birds from Nowhere’, ‘Temple of Banaras’, and ‘Gili Gili Ge’. In between acts, he introduces the iconic ‘Water of India’ — a trick that Pourush holds particularly dear — to the new generation audience. “The ‘Water of India’ has been associated with us for a long time,” he says. “Some people say it’s more than three generations. The magician who performed this in the court of Emperor Jahangir is believed to be our ancestor.”
Waves of change
The magician believes in keeping his show family-friendly adding that post-pandemic, the performances do not have any violence or any kind of extreme horror effect, declaring that the show is clean and clear targeting the younger audience. “There is not much entertainment for kids nowadays except for some cartoon films and some outdoor games,” he says. “Magic plays a big role as kids’ entertainment. Every vacation, I take up the duty to put smiles on faces when they return home.”
Despite the grandeur, nostalgia, and the allure of catching candies falling from a magical vessel, some audience members were quick to point out the show’s reliance on older tricks. Prasanna who returned with a nostalgia of witnessing PC Sorcar Young, says, “There was a noticeable lag between sequences which dimmed the pacing but the children enjoyed the show though all the tricks were from the past.”
Meanwhile, Pourush acknowledges that changes have been made in the practice of magic tricks especially in terms of restricting the use of animals. “My grandfather was the first to introduce animals on stage for magic acts. But now adhering to the Indian laws, only certain types of animals, mainly ducks are used,” he shares.
The Sorcar family’s magic has always walked the tightrope between tradition and reinvention. While the recent show may have felt like a replay to some, for others, it was a memory made.
For details of shows on July 26 and 27, contact 9840671677 or visit BookMyShow. Tickets starting from `500.