I agree that magic is not lying but acting, but if you still can’t shake the feeling that you’re lying, consider this. There are good lies and bad lies. A good lie has good motives. If I have to lie to someone as part of planning a surprise party for that person, I’ll lie all day and not feel guilty. Performing a magic trick is like lying so that the party will be a surprise. For that matter, Magician Nandan Achar didn’t lie much, instead shared some card tricks with Team Mangalorean – and we all had a ball at the Mangalorean.com office.
Nandan Achar hailing from Somwarpet in Coorg District was in town few days ago, and entertained the audience with his magical tricks during the Roce ceremony of his friend Jasmon Serrao held at Bendore Church golden Jubilee hall. Violet Pereira-the proprietor of Mangalorean.com also attended the roce function, liking the magic acts of Nandan she interacted with him after the show, and invited him to Mangalorean.com office for an exclusive interview with yours truly- but it turned out to be not just an interview, team mangalorean members were entertained with some card tricks and also tried to learn some tricks. Magician Nandan may not be a professional magician, but he sure can do some tricks what pro-magicians can do – he really did amaze us with some of his card tricks, where we all went “Wow”!
Born in the year 1996, Nandan Achar is the son of Krishna Murthy SM- a jeweller, and Poornima K – a lecturer at St Joseph’s College-Somwarpet. Nandan is currently doing his II year studies in Architecture at the University College-Mysuru. Since he has been learning magic when he was just 10 years old, he says although he is studying to be a architect, his main goal is to be a full-time professional magician – and he is working hard to achieve his goal. There are many different archetypes of a hero, which include orphans, martyrs, wanderers, warriors, and magicians. Each individual archetype is defined by certain characteristics a person or hero possesses. These characteristics are divided into topics such as goal, worst fear, response to dragon, relationships, emotions, work, and so on. The way in which the person responds to each different topic is what classifies them into a specific heroic archetype. The magician archetype is the most well rounded hero, where they take on tasks that not only benefit themselves, but also benefit others.
A magician is one who is able to succeed by bringing success to others. A magician does this by allowing curiosity, and learning in groups because it is fun. They feel that more can be accomplished if people are enjoying what it is they are doing. A magician finds that the way to create an enjoyable atmosphere is if he or she plays on a person’s uniqueness because this usually involves demonstrations of doing one thing in various ways. A magician knows that if he or she puts this much effort into something that the results will show. They see work as its own reward.
A magician is more of a group-oriented worker, since this allows them to more freely express themselves and their opinions. In Nandan Achar we all saw that he was very well known to express himself and to give his opinions whenever he wanted. Even though Nandan possessed this characteristic, he was also able to keep most secrets. This made us very curious because we knew he was not telling us something. But he was very cool in revealing some of us magic tricks which we tried to grab but couldn’t succeed so quickly. But we all appreciated his willingness to come forward to entertain us and also teach us some tricks- thanks so much, Nandan!
Yes, Magic, as entertainment, is a phenomenon within today”s society acknowledged by billions because past literature has successfully portrayed a foundation of ideas and inspirations for contemporary magicians to expand and build on..Magic is a phenomenon that impresses people of all ages, and it is this that magicians desire, and Nandan Achar a budding magician is all set to accomplish his desire to be a professional magician in the coming years- and right now by looking at his talents one can predict that one day he will surely be a pro-no doubt about it. Team Mangalorean wishes Nandan all success in his attempt and goal to reach greater heights in becoming a pro-magician. Best of luck and success galore!.
Following are the excerpts from the exclusive interview with magician Nandan Achar:
Q : What made you to take up magic as a hobby-who was the inspiration behind it? When did you perform your first magic show?
I was a regular viewer of Magician David Blaine TV show “David Blaine Street Magic”, and this inspired me to take up magic. When I was a teenager my intention was to be a professional magician someday – I used to record David Blaine’s magic shows, and play it and learn the acts from there. My first public appearance was when I did a magic show when I was in I PUC at a family gathering. I was incredibly nervous but when Everyone enjoyed my act, this gave me more confidence to take up this hobby (magic) very seriously. And here I am with more magic performances in the line.
Q : What is the greatest appeal of becoming a magician?
Through magic you can make lots of friends-you can thrill and enthrall them. I was shy before I performed magic on stage, but now that I have done so many magic performances in front of people, I have overcome my weakness, fear and shyness – I can face a small or large gathering without any difficulties or fear. Magic has brought change in me and my qualities.
Q : I know you can’t tell us how your tricks work, but can we talk about how you create a trick? Or the principles behind how magic works?
When I create a trick I pour through everything available to me — YouTube, magic books, video tapes, etc. I find something that suits my style and ask myself if the audience will like it. If yes, I build it, buy it, or make it. Then I rehearse it and put it in the show. I sandwich it before and after something that is already strong, and try it with an open mind and see how it goes. Every time I perform it, I listen to the audience’s reaction and keep refining it until it becomes a strong routine. A lot of tricks I create by necessity.
Q : Has digital age and newer technology impacted magic performing?
Yes, it has definitely impacted magic performing. I can be exposed to thousands or even millions of people with just the click of a mouse. Everyone can see anything at anytime. The Internet has become saturated with material. You can only do the same trick so many different ways. It’s really hard to find good new things to do. That’s why you have to be creative. Which in turn leads to using technology to your advantage. There are a lot of cool tricks you can do because of the “smart phone” as well as other technologies. Just like any other business, you have to adapt with technology or die. We used to read magic books and people would interpret the material their own way. A thousand different magicians would do a trick a thousand different ways.
Now we’ve got magicians in places where they’ve never even seen a professional magician live because they learn it off YouTube, but they all look the same. They do the trick precisely like the originator. Some magicians hide their stuff from YT to protect their originality, and some get on YT as quickly as possible to document their originality. YouTube allows people to either copy and steal, or it gives them access to immense amounts of content to use as inspiration to create original works. Surely, digital age has invaded magic a lot. People can google and learn magic tricks-secrets of magic are also highlighted on Internet. I don’t learn any tricks from Internet, I develop my own tricks, I invent new tricks – presently I have learned nearly 3000 tricks, and by using these tricks I come up with variations to launch newer tricks.
Q : Have you ever used magic against someone? For example, making a person’s purse disappear?
I’m always very clear that I’m doing illusions. I think it’s irresponsible and dangerous to convince people you have powers that you don’t. I can’t think of a time that I’ve actually stolen some one’s wallet and not given it back. But I have tried other tricks, like making a card disappear, and land it in someone’s hand. Once I stole a watch from a man whom I had called on stage to help me with one of my trick – while he was deeply watching my trick, I slowly grabbed his watch without his knowledge – he only came to know about it when I gave it back to him.
People who are magicians are honest liars — the people who hire me know I’m lying to them. It is a kind of unspoken agreement. Now, if I was on the streets as a con artist or doing pick-pocketing I’d be on the other side of the trickery. It’s the same skill set. There have been times though when I see someone who is a bit of nuisance — and these nuisance people are in it for the attention — and I’ve used my magic and performance skills to usurp the attention from them so that they have no more attention.
Q: Tell us a bit about your magic act?
My act is full of magic that involves lots of participation, borrowing items, and magic that happens in the spectators hands. You can expect card magic, mind reading and lots of other things too. I won’t give away too much I don’t want to ruin the element of surprise – us magician folk are mysterious like that! Most of my magic tricks are close up-no big stage illusion because I feel that smaller acts get close connections with the audience. Mine are mostly card tricks, tricks using hands etc
Q: Do audiences always try and guess how a trick is done, or do you find people usually enjoy the mystery more than the answer?
There is always someone that wants to know how the tricks are done, but being a magician those secrets will stay with me only. But the majority of people just like being entertained, everyone loves magic.
Q : When watching magic people enjoy the surprise seeing the impossible happen. When you watch other magicians, is it more fun to know how it’s done or is it more fun if you don’t?
It’s definitely not as much fun to know. The enjoyment comes from the look on someone’s face when I disturb their reality. I traded my” inner-child” for the adrenalin rush of watching people become excited again. I really don’t know another job that transcends to most all ages, races, religions of people. Most four year olds to seniors enjoy the art of magic. That’s the enjoyment I get from magic now. I just really like giving someone a break from their day!
Q: Have you ever completely botched a magic trick in front of an audience? What is the worst magic fail that you’ve ever seen?
I could be lying. Because that’s what magic is. It’s lying. I am making you believe something that didn’t really happen. So the truth is, all magicians mess up. Just not me. 🙂 Come on, you didn’t really think I was going to tell you that? Did you? But anyways, the worst thing happened was during my performance in Mangaluru in 2013. I had called on stage a volunteer from the audience to help me in my trick- but this person was rude. When I requested him to pick one card, he simply grabbed a bunch of cards and shuffled it and messed it up. He also wasted some of my time, which also made the audience impatient. Due to this man’s behaviour I couldn’t perform my trick and it was embarrassing.
Q: How do you feel about magicians who reveal the secrets behind others tricks?
If you’re talking about the “masked magician” then that is a completely different story. I think this guy saw a hole in the market and took advantage of it. Whatever his motives were, he made his family financially secure. Do I think it’s right? The funny thing is, people may watch the show to learn the secret, but no one ever remembers how it is exactly done. I’ve had a few people approach me after a show and say, “I know how you did that trick!” My response is always, “Cool, so how did I do it? So revealing the secrets behind magic does not bother me in the slightest. Chances are you will forget anyway. And if anyone ever gets it right… Still no big deal.
The truth is, most people don’t want to know the secrets behind magic. It wrecks the fun for them. I just think it’s common courtesy that if you are privileged enough to have been taught the secrets, you should keep your mouth shut. But that rarely happens. I have no problems of secrets of magic being revealed. By revealing some of the secrets you can help the budding magicians to improve their standards of tricks and performances.
Q: Is there one incredible trick that no one else has done that you want to create and perfect?
Yes, I am working and practicing on “Portal” a magic trick performed by the illusionist David Copperfield, in which he takes a member of the audience and transports both of them to a pre-selected location (Hawaii, The Hoover Dam, Australia), before reappearing on stage. This effect has been performed in David Copperfield’s show since 2001. Portal was out of the show in the summer of 2007, returned in the winter of 2007, left in the spring of 2008, and hasn’t been performed since. The effect of the illusion is a disappearance of the magician and an audience member, and their reappearance in the pre-selected location via video feed. A picture of the magician with the audience member is taken, and then showed by the two man on video after the disappearance. After the reunion of the audience member with a loved relative Copperfield appears back in the audience on the other side of the stage, then it starts raining in the theater.
The disappearance is considered the most effective part of the trick, as it involves two adults apparently vanishing into thin air from a raised platform above the audience’s heads. I am still working on this trick, and when I am ready it will be history. Until then I want to keep my fingers crossed.
Q : Just to pull your legs, in a fist fight between you and David Copperfield, who will win?
Off course, David Copperfield! He owns an island. David Copperfield loves his private island. … Musha Cay, which is in the Bahamas’ Exumas archipelago, You can’t fight a guy who owns his own island! I would just keep thinking, “Why am I fighting David Copperfield? I can’t believe he has his own island.” I would be distracted. One of his body guards would sneak up and kick the crap out of me. Ha..ha You just don’t fight a guy that has an island. Everyone knows that.
Q : Is it true that we hear that the closing act is really toughest part of any magician act?
I think the opening act is the toughest and most entertaining than the closing act. Magic is not like a dance/skit or singing performance where you perform and leave the stage. In magic show you have to make sure that you thrill the audience and that they like your performance-if your opening act is not good the audience will not have confidence in you, how you will continue further with your acts. So I feel opening act is more important.
Q : What is your favourite trick that you perform more often, and has amazed the audience?
My favourite trick is the card trick- I tear a card, and will make the piece of that card disappear and land it on someones hand. I have been very successful in performing this trick, receiving huge applauds from the audience.
Q : Who is/are your role model in your magic career?
First and foremost, illusionist David Copperfield, who can connect people. Also Apple founder Steve Jobs, for his innovative ideas, thinking and creativeness. I also admire actor Charlie Chaplin, for his unique way of acting, comedy and his movies that made billions of people laugh.
Q: What’s your message to our readers who would like to learn magic?
If you are really interested in my tricks, you can log on to my website : www.themagicianhub.com, where you can grab all the info and tricks in the magic world. Please don’t get confused with the name “Dandan” on my website- it’s a trick by me!