Ugesh Sarcar: India’s First Street Magician

India’s first true street magician on harvesting geniuses and stealing TV show concepts from David Blaine

So what does ‘The Mind Miners’ do? It sounds like brain harvesting.

How did you get to know about Mind Miners? (It’s there on his website) Well, this concept is something very interesting in the field of education - we are going to create geniuses out of nobodies. The objective is to impart three art forms – Memory Enhancement, Vedic Mathematics and Magic to young kids and then change their lives.

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A constantly changing street environment is tougher than a stage to show your tricks behind closed curtains – was it a conscious effort?

It is, but the concept was first designed some 15 years ago. We kept putting the idea of a show on it to people but no one seemed interested in it. The idea was mainly inspired from the earlier street magic shows where people would get paid for their tricks. David Blaine came up with this concept in the US and soon it gained popularity. As Indians though, we are known for stealing a concept – here too a TV channel wanted to do the same thing and they approached me for ‘Ugesh Sarcar’s Third Degree’.

So Is Blaine your favourite Magician?

No, he isn’t. My dad (MC Sarcar) is a great magician (MC Sarcar), but it’s David Copperfield who according to me is the ultimate magician.

When did you seriously start practicing magic?

My father, Professor M.C. Sarcar is also a magician and the founder of the Karnataka Magic Academy Trust, Bangalore. Magic is in my blood. My daily routine includes practicing magic for 16 to 18 hours and I’ve followed this schedule for more than 13 years. But it is extremely essential to know human psychology before performing these tricks.

Now that your TV show, is in its second season, are there any new plans for it?

This season, we are looking at an international format. As for the tricks, we can’t disclose much. We aim to fascinate, to mystify and to keep the audience guessing. This season we will kick-start from the west, starting with US, Europe, Australia and finally India. But as of now we don’t know, which cities we are traveling to in India.

How do the Indian crowds react to street magic? Are they taken aback?

It’s not that every single person is open to all this. I have lost count about the number of times people have refused to take a part in the trick, in the beginning the audience found it weird, however, now people know me so they are more open to the idea.

How about some quick-fire magic tricks?

Never used magic to impress any girl.

So then you haven’t read or seen Harry Potter then?

I’ve heard a lot about Harry Potter but have never read or watched the series.

Firstly, what’s with the courtesy title ‘professor’? Are you really a professor of magic?

The title was earned in the field of magic. Definitely not one of those nerdy professors, we are the teachers of magic.

Ugesh Sarcar

Job: Magician

Where: Bangalore

Try this

Floating Beer Can: Hold a can in your hand and release it to slide downwards. Slightly greasy fingers will help the movement. Voila the can will appear to be floating. Either that or you just wasted a good brew.

Cigarette Vanish and Reappear: Make sure your right thumb is wet from the nail to the knuckle. Press a cigarette firmly on the wet part. On the downward magic hand motions, see that the cigarette is hidden to straighten the thumb. A further magic wave and the cigarette will reappear.

Magnetic Pencil: Put on a wristwatch and insert one end of a pencil in it. Grab your wrist with the other hand and lower your palm so that it rests on the second pencil, which is on the table. As you do this, extend the tip of the first pencil so that it fixes the second pencil. On moving your hand away from the table, it appears the pencil is stuck to your hand.

Levitating Ring: Using clear adhesive tape, attach a bit of the thread to the top of the pencil (eraser side up) and run the other end of the thread to a button on your shirt or a belt buckle. Make sure the thread is slightly taut when you raise your arm in front of your body. Drop the finger ring onto the pencil. To and fro movement of the arm will make the ring levitate.

From the May 2011 issue of FHM India.