As if by magic

Magic is something that every kid gets attracted to. Little Tijo too was when a magician performed in his school and was interested in learning them. But his efforts to learn the tricks were in vain as the magician told Tijo that he was too young to master them.

However, Tijo Varghese had already decided that he wanted to become a magician. And after 25 years of hard work, research and dedication, he now holds a number of national and world records to his credit. The India Book of Records mentions his name for performing blindfolded for an hour and continuously for two hours — the longest magic performance is the latest in his kitty.

“I was very keen to learn magic and it was my father’s friend Johnson, a prominent magician from Tamil Nadu, who taught me the tricks. Though every magician designs his own tricks, a senior and experienced person in this field should always be our mentor. I got each and every suggestion from Johnson sir at the right time which has greatly worked in my favour. I consider him as my lifetime mentor,” says Tijo who was born in Thiruvalla and brought up in Coimbatore.

His father had relocated to Coimbatore to start his business. Apart from his magic performances, Tijo is actively involved in  the companies started by his father T.V Thomas. That he is not dependent on magic to feed his family has only made him more passionate about the art. “When I perform, my focus is to make each and every person clap,” he adds.

Tijo has broken several records in magic for which he has been bestowed with an honorary doctorate by World Record University. He says that illusion is the toughest one to perform as even a small mistake can inflict a severe cost. However, not a single accident has occurred in his career till date. He owes it all to repeated practice sessions. “Magic is all about speed and speed leads to mistakes, which we as magicians can’t afford, so practice is the only solution.”