From early January, Raj Kumar, 58, Founder of the Delhi School of Magic (DSM), his core team of 30 illusionists, and mentalists could only watch helplessly as one by one their shows across India and Asia were cancelled. By March 25,they had no shows in hand, as ‘performing magic tricks’ is not ‘essential services’. When DSM had to refund clients, let go of their office space and a few staff, they were forced to conjure up Plan B to stay relevant. Going digital was the only option. Which meant an absolute restructuring of their traditional modus operandi before anyone could say abracadabra.
But Raj is well-versed with changing fortunes. The son of a mill worker was raised in a one room, learnt haath ki safaai (sleight of hand tricks) from the madaaris (wandering street magicians), and sustained his passion for magic by selling snacks on the very street where he resides today in a two-storey bungalow at Dilshad Garden.
“I started doing shows in 1982 for Rs 10, then for Rs 100… then 300…then 5,000, 25,000, 50,000, finally Rs 3,00,000 and then back to zero after the lockdown was announced. But on April 11, DSM did its first online show for a corporate drew in Rs 2,000. That gave us confidence, and we started pitching to old clients,” recalls Raj. It worked. “We did online shows for LG India, Max Bhupa, ICICI, C-Gate, our clients across India, Holland, Australia, Bangladesh, London, going up to Rs 50,000 for a show.” DSM also took their magic courses online with slashed rates, from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2,500.
Around April, the SDM of Shahdara, contacted Raj to adapt his Triple M (Motivate through Magic and Message) programme – meant for school children and corporate employees – for displaced migrants at quarantine shelters here. In East Delhi, he performed multiple shows for around 1,500 migrants at the Yamuna Sports Stadium. “When these grabbed eyeballs” Delhi Police and government bodies contacted him, and he did more shows for the DPS quarantine centres (government schools) in south and central Delhi. At these shows, he made Covid-19 precautions interesting by transforming a bottle of sanitiser into a face mask, and demonstrated how alcohol kills by turning a golden liquid prop into black hue and back to water, as a discourse in nasha mukti (deaddiction) for the sizeable number of beggars in the audience.
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Some rules that the patriarch has set for his family are supposed to be sacrosanct. After Raj accidentally let a pigeon roast in his scooter dicky, he’s banned the use of animals in his crew. No burlesque magic acts, use of cigarette, swallowing fire or glass shards, or even slicing people in half. In the lockdown, he’s helped small-time magicians set up alternate careers – running food and vegetable stalls, and even gave eight of them scooters to work as delivery boys for QSRs.
Raj is the recipient of the International Merlin Award 2015 (“the Oscars in the magic world”) and UNESCO New Delhi featured him in a DVD titled Enchanting Illusions. In 1995, he founded DSM, which has created a few records – performing in 12 countries in 2018-19 alone; staging 64 shows of the Indian Rope Trick in China, and even winning a Vietnamese reality TV show in 2019.
Raj’s family members have also followed in his footsteps. His son, Tushar, 29, is an expert mentalist who performs mind reading shows for corporates and was the Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) at McDonalds India (2013-17) to promote the brand’s CSR activities to kids via magic tricks. Raj’s daughter Aanchal, 23, vlogs as Miss Travel Potter, opening the unknown world of magic to ‘muggles’. Nephews Mohit and Manoj, Rishi, and daughter-in-law Riba manipulate coins, umbrellas and other props.
However, the initial fizz of learning magic online is dissipating. “During the lockdown we did well because people were frustrated as they couldn’t go out. Now they can as other entertainment options have opened up. Last month, we only earned 40K,” Raj confides. Gesturing to his family, he says, “They used to earn Rs 1-2L per show, now it’s just Rs 500, Rs 1500, Rs 10,000,” adding he had considered opening a grocery store, selling his other flat and even breaking a few FDs, as fall back options.
Aanchal quips, “Sometimes, my brother screams in front of the computer because he misses performing live.” But seeing their dad always smiling and making the best of the present, tides the family through.
The future may be brighter. DSM is setting the new office at Rishabh Towers, Karkardooma. “We are planning on a big webinar, inviting 1,000 people who will be taught magic in 90 minutes. I also want to open a magical theatre and use its proceeds to educate children of poor magicians or enrol them in cottage industries, so it’s a win-win….”
To enroll for a DSM course, write to: info.agoe@gmail.com