Stepping stones for modern Indian Magic…

Pardon the patting of my own back! But I sincerely think that October 12 2008 paved the basic path for modern Indian Magic to come of age.

Allow the indulgence. Making Magic Money was a unique seminar held at The Magic Space and conducted ably by Cartik the Conjurer, Maxwell Murphy (owner of Penguin Magic), Prahlad Acharya, Ganesh Shenoy, Kampa Gopinath, among others.



What made it unique was that this was a full-day magic seminar which did NOT discuss a single magic trick or effect. It was devoted entirely to the nuances of “marketing your magic and you”.

I had my doubts if this kind of a topic would actually interest our brethren as we magicians here are only concerned with one thing – magic tricks… the perennial need for more and more!



But the enthusiasm was impressive. We had 13 registrations, and many more interested enquiries. While only a lucky seven participants turned up, I remain far from disappointed.



As Prakash Savkoor stated at the end of the day, this was the coming of age of Indian modern magic: For the first time in India, magicians had paid upwards of Rs 1000 to attend a magic seminar that did NOT discuss magic tricks. The first time magicians had come together with a real dedication to learn, improve, and grow as entertainment professionals.

PS: This article is slated to appear in the November 2008 issue of the VMN.

Fraternising the Magic Brotherhood

Interactions with people engaged in the same craft is essential for the overall development of an individual, and this is no different to Magic. The craft of Magic has seen more than its share of Clubs and Societies both internationally and in India, plus the problems associated therewith.

A notable name among these myriad magical institutions is The International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) based in St Louis, USA. Founded in 1922, the IBM has grown to be the world's largest organisation of magicians with over 13000 members in 73 countries.

Being a part of this prestigious organisation brings along a load of benefits, including the ability to play an active role in the 300-odd local IBM Rings worldwide. Over the years, India has had many of them like Ring 261 in Coimbatore and Ring 83 in Kolkata. Other Rings in India have included Ring 67 in Mumbai, Ring 272 in Thane, Ring 177 in Bangalore and Ring 206 in Calicut.

India has two Territorial Vice Presidents (TVP) in B Dayanand and Solyl Kundu, while Sam Dalal has had the unique honour of serving as the International Vice President.

Members of the IBM receive the Linking Ring, a monthly magazine filled with magic news, products updates, and tricks from around the globe. All in all, the IBM is a great organisation to be a part of – to learn and to contribute. For more details, see www.magician.org, or contact the TVPs or myself.

PS: This article originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of the VMN.