VIJAYAWADA: 'Abracadabra! Hocus-Pocus!’ these are the words a child spoke when he was just 22 months old and set a world record by performing a magic show at the youngest age. Not just the child, the whole family is filled with magicians hailing from Rayali village of Konaseema district.
Chinta Syam Kumar, popularly known as Syam Jadugar, a government teacher by profession working at a primary school in Vadapalli village, performed more than 6,000 magic shows on national and international platforms.
With the goal of warding away superstitions from the minds of people, Syam embarked on a journey of teaching magic to the students. Currently, he is working for the educational development of students through ‘Maya e-Badi’ by conducting free online and offline training classes in various arts in accordance with the government’s new education policy with the support of his wife Annapurna, who is also a magician.
Speaking to TNIE, Syam said, “During my intermediate studies in 1988, I was attracted to street magic. I attended workshops on magic shows in Kolkata, Hyderabad and New Delhi during my under graduation. My magician career began with an awareness programme on AIDS while I was working as a teacher in Patha Cheruvu in 2002,” he said.
Recognising his services, in 2004 and 2005, UNICEF honoured him with the National Level Best Teacher Award. He also bagged Ugadi Award in 2018 and the Best Teacher Award in 2020. On top of that, adding a feather to his cap, he received awards from several international organisations such as the Malaysia Telugu Association and the Magician Society of Kuwait.
Annapurna, who learned magic from her husband, took part in over a hundred shows alongside her husband as his assistant. She also started a voluntary organisation, Bharat Talents Association (BTA) in 2016, which helps bring out the talents of the youth. The organisation creates a platform by conducting shows worldwide and helping them showcase their talents. For this effort, Annapurna was honoured with the National Women’s Excellence Award along with other prestigious awards from various organisations.
Syam’s son Chinta Mohit Nagasatya Krishna, who is pursuing a master's in physiotherapy in Manchester, is also a magician and performed around 3,000 shows. He founded ‘Annapurna Organ Seva Samiti’ in 2016 and dedicated his valuable services to the poor and needy during the Covid pandemic. He was awarded for his efforts in creating awareness of HIV when he was just 15 years old and was sent on a trip to China as a member of the youth team. The state government honoured him with the Best Child Award for his talent.
Coming to Syam’s daughter Balla Tejasri Srikanth, who is working as a teacher in Rajamahendravaram, has performed about eighty magic shows. Tejasri was honoured with Abhyudaya Kalaparishat Award and also received the ‘PC Circar Junior’ title along with her brother. With the support from her husband, Tejasri taught magic to her three-year-old son Rushit, who set a world record when he was 22 months old.