KOCHI: He was always fascinated by magic; his interest in the art of magic began at the age of nine. Seventeen-year-old S Ananthu from Poojappura has performed on thousand stages within and outside the state.
He holds two certifications in magic from the Poojappura Magic Academy under the guidance of magician Gopinath Muthukad.
“Magic is an illusion which the magician creates. It always works by tricks and effects. With practice and dedication despite age, anyone can become a magician. And I have to take care of my mother. Ever since my father died, I believe that it is my duty and responsibility to run my family,” said Ananthu.
According to Ananthu, magic allows him to believe in what he finds impossible.“In 2017, I performed on thousand stages in and outside Kerala. I have a magic team named ‘Manthrikam Magical Entertainers’ consisting of 10 members. It is interesting to see how people get influenced by magic. It was never easy for me in the beginning.
You should have good concentration, to misdirect others attention to win a trick,” informed Ananthu. He also said that without continuous practice, even easy magic tricks could go wrong.
Apart from entertainment shows Ananthu and his team perform spellbinding programmes for social causes. They perform magic to spread awareness against the ill-effects of using alcohol, smoking and drug abuse. “Anti-addiction campaigns using magic tricks work well in colleges and schools as magic does not have language barriers. Teenagers understand it better when such topics are discussed using illusion tricks,” said Ananthu.
He also informed that environmental protection and the need for sustainable development is another theme they perform, in order to bring in social awareness among the youth.
While talking about the difficulties of learning magic tricks, Ananthu conveyed that patience and practice are the keywords in the field of magic. “Close-up magic tricks are most difficult as it takes a lot more than just concentration.
Strenuous effort has to be put in, in order to mislead the person in front of you. Timing, speed everything matters. Basic psychology and mind manipulation techniques too help in tricking your audience. As my guru Muthukad sir says, ‘Practice, practice and practice’,” said Ananthu. Apart from being a professional magician, Ananthu is a class XII student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vazuthacaud.
In the future, Ananthu plans to expand his knowledge in the field of magic, simultaneously continuing his studies.