The Hindu: Magic's in the air

By M. ALLIRAJAN

The Hindu: Metro Plus Coimbatore
Thursday, Nov 11, 2004

Magic, drama and entertainment - that's Prahlad Acharya's show



"MAGIC IS illusion. Magicians create illusion for entertainment." With these opening lines, magician Prahlad Acharya treated an eagerly-waiting audience to his `Maya Jadoo' show. The show matched his words.

he event put together by Yakshaloka Magical Entertainers, the 20-member troupe of Prahlad, was spellbinding. It was no doubt a show of illusion. But the audience in the jam-packed hall, especially the kids, enjoyed every bit of it.

Each performance had an ethnic touch to it. `Maya' had a combination of magical illusion, music and drama, which Prahlad termed "dramagic". First among the presentations was the popular `Indian basket' trick, wherein a lady comes out of an empty basket.

Prahlad did the disappearing act and changed his attire in a jiffy, much to everyone's delight.

A curious few in the audience even stood up to see how the magicians played their tricks. The colourful `umbrella magic' sequence, where a steady stream of umbrellas kept coming from the hands of magicians, won appreciation. Prahlad's wife Poornima, also part of the troupe, presented a few magical illusions. Her take on Charlie Chaplin had everyone in splits. Then, there were the usual `unlimited sarees', `innumerable bottles' and `cartoon magic' series performances. This was followed by the `burning of a person' sequence. After this, Prahlad asked the audience to give their gold-plated wristwatches and ornaments. A few of them were game, but soon realised that their valuables had disappeared. Much to their relief, they reappeared again in a box that hung in the air.

The much-awaited grand escape from a `locked box' lived up to its billing. The act perfected by master magician Houdini was brought out well by Prahlad's team. All eyes were on Prahlad, who entered the box handcuffed only to emerge from the rear entrance of the hall in a few minutes. There was also the bamboozling sequence where Poornima was `cut into two', but came out unscathed. The show was not just about magic.

It also had ventriloquism and shadow play. In the latter, the team brought alive the look and gait of animals and the background sound only added to the effect. Prahlad's conversation with his wisecrack partner `Kitty' sent waves of laughter.

The show, which starts at 6.30 p.m. every day, is on till November 16.