Casting A Positive Spell For Society

Enter the stage with closed eyes, and Abracadabra! A pigeon emerges from your head or a coin sneezes out of your nose. Magicians transport audiences to a fantasy land with jaw-dropping optical illusions. In India, some magicians wield their magic wands to uplift the marginalised and spark conversations on social issues and taboo subjects. Magic, an overlooked form of performing arts, serves as a conduit for happiness, fantasy, and a lighthearted approach to serious discourse.

A Generous Hand

The power of magic lies in the hand of the beholder who can use it as an excellent medium to convey powerful messages to the public. Such is the case for Kerala-born Gopinath Muthukad, a retired magician and motivational speaker who stands as a pioneer in empowering the differently-abled community. Honoured as a celebrity supporter by UNICEF, Gopinath is the founder of India’s first magic theme park ‘Magic Planet’. It supports street magicians and circus artists and their livelihood. As the founder of ‘The Different Arts Centre,’ he empowers the differently-abled by making them self-reliant and independent through magic. Speaking about how uplifting over 200 children with special needs gives him joy, Muthukad says, “We teach the art of magic to the differently-abled children. It fills them with positive energy and boosts their confidence. We’re not just training them to recognise their potential, our trained coaches also empower them to become self-sufficient to perform on stage and in theatre.”

Muthukad who announced his retirement in 2021 from magic to focus on humanitarian causes has been honoured with the Kerala Sree Award, the third highest civilian award. Through his magical shows, he also creates awareness of the importance of democracy and the need to participate in the electoral processes. “The beauty of magic lies in its ability to create wonders, evoking expressions of awe and surprise. For specially-abled children, experiencing magic can be a source of immense joy and happiness, offering them moments of wonder and excitement,” adds Muthukad.

Bewitching Spells

While historically male-dominated, the field of magic in India has seen a remarkable rise of talented women magicians who have established their skills and prowess. Among them is Zenia Bhumgara (27), a Mumbai-based magician and recipient of the prestigious Merlin awards. Zenia finds her greatest fulfilment in giving back to the community through hosting free charity magic shows for the underprivileged. “I come from a family of magicians and always felt that being on stage was something I was meant to do. I gained recognition through word of mouth, social media, celebrity collaborations and various events,” reminisces Zenia.

Zenia believes that the fantasy of magic is the best medium to spread happiness and laughter, especially to people who struggle to find it amidst life’s trials. Her primary focus is not to earn money but to bring a smile to the faces of cancer patients, underprivileged kids, and senior citizens. “I see the power of magic bringing hope and offering a glimpse of the impossible becoming possible. Witnessing children transported to fantasy land, forgetting their pain and finding joy amidst times of suffering through my magic shows, fills me with an indescribable joy.” “Their smiles and gratitude remind me of the magic in spreading happiness, and in those moments, I find my pain fading away,” says Zenia. She remembers her fond memories ranging from mothers of cancer patients crediting her for imparting happiness, a tuberculosis patient forgetting her pain for a few moments and the victims of the Japan tsunami refusing to let go of her pinky finger.

A Legacy To Remember

The art of traditional magic, the ones performed by street artists decades back has been pushed to the brink of extinction. As an illusionist and a benefactor of traditional magic, Raj Kumar came from a financially weak background. As a child, he enjoyed practising various art forms and watching the magic shows performed by street magicians.

Today, he is the founder of MAZMA which is a society for uplifting traditional magic and performing arts. He also founded the ‘Delhi School of Magic’ which is one of the oldest and most renowned magic schools in India. “Regardless of their background or beliefs, I offer street magicians free lessons without charging them a single penny. Knowing that someday after they achieve an acclaimed status, they’ll remember me,” says Raj Kumar. Raj Kumar also raised awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic through his magic shows. He says, “I educated stranded migrant workers on the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and entertained them through my magic shows. They kept asking for me to return to them every day as the shows brought them joy and relief.” Raj Kumar’s son and daughter are also magicians and continue ‘to create magicians’ by spreading the art of traditional and modern magic. Through illusion and sleight of hand, magicians can captivate audiences, sparking conversations about important topics and inspiring positive change. Whether addressing issues of inequality, poverty, or environmental concerns, magic has the power to engage hearts and minds, nurturing empathy and understanding in the process.

Magic For A Cause

• Retired magician Gopinath Muthukad teaches magic to differently-abled kids and helps them earn a living

• Raj Kumar, an illusionist and magic coach performed magic for stranded migrant labourers during the Covid-19 pandemic

• Zenia Bhumgara uses magic to spread happiness to cancer patients, senior citizens, underprivileged children and people with diseases

• Subrata Kumar Mukherjee highlighted social awareness programmes of the state government of Kolkata through magic shows

• P C Sorkar Jr, the son of magician P C Sorcar helped to raise funds for a cancer home’s expansion through magic shows

• Vivek Desai, a magician and mentalist is also a humanitarian

Inspired by their talents, we teach magic to the differently-abled children which fills them with positive energy and boosts their confidence.” — Gopinath Muthukad, Founder, Different Art Centre

I educated stranded migrant workers on the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and entertained them through my magic shows.” — Raj Kumar,

Illusionist, founder and director, Delhi School of Magic

Witnessing children transported to fantasy land, forgetting their pain and finding joy amidst times of suffering through my shows, fills me with indescribable joy.” — Zenia Bhumgara, magician, mentalist, illusionist