Evidence is building that screen use, particularly of smartphones, has a negative impact on the conversational development of very young children.
Maneka Sorcar, daughter of PC Sorcar, belongs to a family of nine generations of magicians, but she’s the first woman to take up the craft
Maneka Sorcar’s lineage is illustrious – her grandfather PC Sorcar (Senior) and her father PC Sorcar (Junior) were among the greatest magicians in the world.
You are the first woman in the Sorcar family to take up magic... It is not that other women were not interested in magic across different generations, but no one dared to pursue it. It was unimaginable for women to perform magic on stage. It still is I guess that is why even in the world stage there are so few women magicians. My parents allowed me to choose my career and from young I knew I wanted to be a magician. In kindergarten I drew myself as a magician with a moustache and turban. When my teacher asked me if I wanted to have a moustache, I said I didn’t mind as long as I could do magic.
Has the going been tough?
I’ve always felt that when it is a woman magician, people always have the feeling, “Will she be able to do it?” On the other hand magicians are perceived as people with a lot of power and historically women with a lot of power were branded as witches. For people to feel positive towards me, it’s a constant manoeuvring of my interaction with the audience. I call myself an illusionist.
Your most dangerous act?
In 1999 when I was 18 years old. I was dying to prove myself although my father never doubted my capabilities. He wanted me to finish my studies and then take up magic. But I was raring to go. On February 23 my late grandfather’s birthday and also celebrated as Magician’s Day, I put up a show at our farmhouse in Kolkata. I kept my father in the dark about my plans, but when I told my mother Jayshree Sorcar that I planned to be inside a crate and have it blown up with dynamite sticks she said, “It’s good you are attempting it. But either be successful or get blown up; there is no middle path here.”
I called it the Big Bang Act and there was much trepidation because this is an extremely accident-prone act and has resulted in severe burns on people who have attempted it earlier.
Were you scared?
I was confident. But reality started dawning on me when I was handcuffed, my legs were tied, I was bound in chains and put inside a wooden crate with slits in it. The crate was doused in gasoline and tied with dynamite sticks. The gasoline trickled down my face and body through the slits. That was when my whole life went flashing before my eyes in seconds. There were some safety measures but when the deafening explosion occurred there was an eerie silence from spectators. Moments later, I drove to the site in a car. I cannot forget that applause. The act was like my rite de passage.
Your other memorable acts…
I cycled on the River Ganges in India in 2008 and the same year performed the act on River Seine in Paris.
I also assisted my father when he made the Taj Mahal in Agra ‘vanish’ in 2000.
How many shows do you do in a year?
My solo show is called Maya Vigyan and I perform around 200 shows a year around the world. My father’s show is Indrajaal and we are thinking of merging the two and do a fatherdaughter collaboration. Our combined troupe has 150 members.
In the digital age is it harder to hold on to audience attention? Magic will always have takers. The success of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, superhero movies prove that.
When you are not doing magic, what do you do?
I am always in it. There are very few moments when I disconnect. I keep strategising, innovating and renovating myself and my acts. I meditate and relax by playing with our pets, an African Serengiti lion, an elephant, birds and some pet dogs. We have stopped using animals for shows 10 years back because of regulations, but they continue to be loved and cared by us like family.
Can magic be used for therapy? Very much so. I have conducted workshops for children between 10 – 18 years old. Children are often introverted, find hard to compete or lag behind in extracurricular activities. Magic is like the key that you give them to unlock their own potential. I have seen marked changes in the children after they attended our workshops.
Children are often introverted, find it hard to compete, or lag behind in extracurricular activities. Magic is like the key that you give them to unlock their own potential.