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Seeking to promote the art of magic, All India Magic Federation National President Jadugar Anand on Friday said, “There is a need to form an academy for magicians as this will help those from the new generations to learn the art.” Addressing a press conference in the city, he said people should know more about this art as it could help get rid of many superstitions that exist in society.
Of Myths and superstitions:
“Every year around 1,000 people get killed in our country because of misconceptions and superstitions related to black magic. The formation of an academy will help people have a clearer idea about magic and also encourage youngsters to learn the art,” he opined.
Motivation must:
“Magicians are a neglected lot in our country and they need more encouragement from the Government. Indian magic is like the Russian Circus, which is appreciated all over the world.” Said Anand, who has three international awards to his credit. The man who had made arrangements to a stage a “Sensational Fire Escape Shoe” at the Palace grounds said that Akash, a young magician, would be performing the stunt. He further informed that they were trying to get a helicopter and cranes to enhance the effect of the show.” I am thankful to the Government of Karnataka for not imposing entertainment tax on magic shows,” Anand said.
Best down south:
The enthusiastic magician said, “I have staged shows in this city earlier also. This place like the gateway to South India. This time again, I have many new things in my agenda like an organic replica of the statue of liberty slowly disappearing in front of the audience. An elephant, like last time, will be an element of this show. This time, however the scenario will be different.” “Even the costliest tricks won’t be more than Rs 300/- he added.
BANGALORE VIJAYA TIMES
The first day of my two-week vacation. And what a way to start off! Had a wonderful evening at the town hall in Bangalore today with Jadugar Anand and his team.
Performance of Magic is all about perception. Making impossible possible is impossible. So Magicians make the impossible seemingly possible.
Children enjoy it the best; because they are the least skeptical about reality, and different perceptions of reality. Adults too enjoy; because a willing, though temporary, suspension of disbelief is a highly satiating escape from hard realities.
The last time I saw a magic show was that of P C Sarkar in Hyderabad in 1998. I am a skeptic. (May be that is why landed the job I am in! For, someone said journalists need to be necessarily skeptics.) And, not surprisingly, I was quite unimpressed with the initial numbers that Anand performed. But he won me over gradually, I must concede. Everything that is unreal seemed real. The conflict in perception was as much interesting as puzzling.
The most dramatic one the "beauty and the beast", wherein a girl turns into a chimpanzee. There also this one, where an elephant appears from nowhere. And this gigantic animal got down from the stage, walked into the audience, along the aisle... I was sitting beside the aisle and never had I found myself so close to an elephant, that too inside a room.
Everything has become interactive. A magic show too. Anand got members of the audience participate in two of his numbers.
In one he asked a teenage girl to come up to the audience. And, she was (apparently hypnotized and) made to sleep suspended in air. That was by far the most impressive to me. Impressive also because, he used a member of the audience for it. "Your are the medium, but the magic is mine," Anand declared triumphantly.
And, of course, breaking free of closed enclosures and his disappearing acts, like that of Statue of Liberty, were also quite impressive.
Anand hit the headlines for riding a motorcycle blindfolded from Indore to Bhopal, a distance of 200 km in 210 minutes, in October 2004. Incidentally, he was denied permission to do that here in Bangalore last month. The reason was not stated.
Anand hails from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. It seems he learnt hypnotism from spiritual guru Rajneesh (Osho) who also hails from the same place. Anand's brother, Rajendra Awasthi is a noted writer in Hindi. Anand learnt magic at the age of seven, apparently inspired by street magicians, who used to get him ladoos from nowhere
If you happen to see an elephant disappear and reappear in front of your eyes, don’t panic. It is just Jadugar Anand’s magic at work.
The noted magician is back in the city with his troupe, this time to perform new feats for the people of Bangalore from April 7 at the Town Hall for one month.
One of the highlights of the show will be the disappearance of the Statute of Liberty in slow motion, for the first time in India.
Last year Anand has made an elephant disappear from the stage. This time he will make an elephant appear on the stage in a matter of seconds.
Apart from the regular show, a daring feat will be performed by Akash on Sunday at the Palace Grounds, which will be free for the public. Akash will perform a fire escape, wherein his hands and legs will be chained and he will be thrown into the fire, out of which he will make a daring escape.
Anand told presspersons here on Friday that the art of magic has not been given recognition by the Government as an art form even though magicians performing abroad bring in considerable foreign exchange to the country.
Mr. Anand President of the All India Magic Federation holds the record for riding a motorbike blindfolded from Indore to Bhopal, a distance of 200km.
THE HINDU
Magician Jadugar Anand enthralled the audience at the Town Hall on Friday, marking the inauguration of a series of shows he will hold across the city.
Health Minister R. Ashok spoke for all when he said, “I am thrilled. The show is worth watching.”
From the common trick of chopping a girl into three pieces with a sword and getting her back in one piece, or hanging a couple of girls in vacuum and making them dance to his tunes. Anand performed a few not-so-common tricks too. He inserted his body into a running fan and after traversing through various gizmos, he emerged unscratched.
A pretty girl will remember this show forever: he turned her into a gorilla! Whether turning beauty to beast or creating an elephant in front of your eyes, it was an experience to cherish.
VIJAY TIMES
Seeking to promote the art of magic, All India Magic Federation National President Jadugar Anand on Friday said, “There is a need to form an academy for magicians as this will help those from the new generations to learn the art.” Addressing a press conference in the city, he said people should know more about this art as it could help get rid of many superstitions that exist in society.
