THRISSUR: In the acclaimed Christian Nolan film 'The Prestige,' the magician character Alfred Bordon says: 'The secret impresses no one. The tricks you use it for is everything." It seems the magicians in the state are in a phase in their lives where they need to invent tricks of their own to promote the dying art form for their survival. Survival has become a tough challenge for magic performers as the state and Central governments are least bothered about their existence.
Magic was once a popular art form that hogged the limelight at festival venues in villages and performance halls in urban centres. However, in an era of artificial intelligence, magic has become a dying art that needs support from society as there are many magicians who make a living out of it. Think of magic, the names that come into an average Malayali's mind will be Muthukad and Samraj. Beyond the fame and dazzle, there are several other magicians across the state who cry for attention and financial assistance to keep the show going.
Haridas Thekkeyil, a magician with a career spanning over three decades, said that children are still curious to know the tricks and secrets of magic. "When I conduct magic classes for children in collaboration with schools, I can feel the interest they evince in the art. Many continue to learn magic even after the short-term classes in schools and go on to win state, national and international awards."
Years ago, Haridas had come up with a troupe for magic performance, but the flood damaged the properties forcing him to temporarily shelve the initiative.
Thrissur Magicians Club has been requesting Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi to organise a magic fest or a magician's gathering to promote the art form. They also want the Akademi to provide awards and endowments to encourage magicians. "While all other art forms get some kind of support from the Akademi, magicians have been struggling to make a living out of it," said Rajeev of Thrissur Magician's Club.
Many children trained by professional magicians in Kerala have made remarkable achievements in competitions at the state and at the national level.
Some magic secrets
"Magic is all about regular practice and the way of performance. It takes innovative thoughts and years of practice to become a wonderful magician," says Haridas who had won several state and national awards at the Vazhakunnam Namboothirippad All Kerala Magic Competition.
There are three types of performances in magic: Close Up, Conjuring Act and Illusion Act.Close-up acts are usually performed for a small pack of audience. Conjuring acts include mentalism, while the Illusion Act comprises of tricks including escaping from confinements or similar ones. For competitions, conjuring and illusion acts are mainly performed. From the attire one wears to the style of performance and properties used, the magician is judged for an array of skills.
Magicians endorse that learning magic would improve fine and gross motor skills, and boost the confidence of the performer.