Children take Mass Pledge at home

Asianet makes a historic effort

Parents, allow your children tonight 8pm to watch Munch Star Singer on Asianet. This would enable them to take part in a historic mass pledge against evils of tobacco, alcohol and drugs at home, standing close to the comforts you provide. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity for your child to get in friendship with a virtuous idea.

The magic of Mahatma

Do magicians need Hypnotism?

POLL RESULT (September - 3, 2009)
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Is it essential for magicians to learn Hypnotism?

Our readers are devided 50-50 on this issue

Vote your opinion for issues of still more interest!

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LAST YEAR: (2008 Jan. - Dec.)

When secrets drain away...

[Editorial appeared on September 2009 issue of Vismayam Magical News]

It won’t be wrong if one says that man is clever and among them magicians are cleverer. To be clever is a professional need for magical artistes. Many of their tricks are based on aspects of science and technology. And these aspects, ever since their evolution on this planet have been growing year after year. Today, it is such that the technology behind magic tricks gets even hourly advancements.

A good magician needs to be techno savvy. But this qualification should not make him weird and segregate him from artistes of other trades. Artistes of other faculties do not usually embrace the technology to the extent as magicians do.

It has been a common say that magicians fool their audiences. This is for sure, a wrong notion. Fact is different.

In front of a magician, every spectator is wiser. If to lend and a little bend Mahatma’s words that customer is the King; for magicians spectator is their King. Genuine appreciation always comes from the wise and so a magician usually tends to describe his audiences as the wisest.

Today’s world offers trick behind any magic at a single click. Facts behind many illusions are being piped to living rooms even if viewers do not wish so.

In this context, to be successful, a magician should have not only update technology, but also tremendous quantities of enthusiasm.

When secrets are no more secrets, we have these words of the Mahatma to remember: “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides, and my windows to be closed. Instead, I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any”.

Yes. Let us gather synergy to transform big challenges into biggest achievements.

Freedom to teach and to be taught

[Editorial appeared in the August number of Vismayam Magical News]

Magic grows into a flowering branch of entertainment tree with the grace of artistic talents of its performers. It sustains with the support of scientific inventions and technological growth.

From Arctic to Antarctic, magic tricks are the same. But its performers vary, their creativity differ and the supporting aspects of science vary.

When in the beginning decades of 20th century, Harlan Tarbell conducted a postal course in magic, no English magician feared of a bleak future. When Tarbell, due to a recession in 1930s released his course notes in the form of 7-volume Tarbell’s Course in Magic, nobody was shocked. Instead our predecessors in magic gladly accepted it as their Bible in magic.

If everybody learn the same trick and perform, who will enjoy? This is a common concern quite often heard in the magic circles. But there is nothing to be concerned about this.

Classroom study makes all equal. But only creativity makes us different. In short, learning magic means undertaking the responsibility of being creative. To be a magician is not a job told for idle persons. Good lot of responsibility is needed while teaching, learning and presenting magic. It is essential that to be successful, a magician needs to be agile, aspiring and inclined to learn and teach.

Hand in hand, we celebrated the 63rd Independence Day of the country only a week ago. On this occasion, let us do not forget that freedom is there, to teach and to be taught. So in magic, let us take more and give more.

Hearty Onam greetings to all!

Teens with magic sheen

Albin Roshan and Mohammed Shanu made two-day Science Magic Camp attractive.


A.R. Mohammed Shanu (left) and Albin Roshan.

Albin Roshan and A.R. Mohammed Shanu proved their talents during the Science-Magic Camp on 19th and 20th of September in Thiruvananthapuram. A pass-out of the Course of Excellence in the Magic Academy Research Centre (MARC), 17-year-old Roshan received a certificate of appreciation from mother of Gopinath Muthukad, Devakiyamma.

For any growth in magic, Albin is thankful to two: one, Thomas P., the chief of MARC who looked after his welfare during his residential course there and two, everyone at his family. He recalls the support provided by his mother who readily accompanies him to any part of the State, but for magic shows. His younger sister has also started contributing her part of encouragement, by coming to the stage as an assistant. Albin has a considerable talent in performing magic with speech. He is on a continuous mission now: to polish his speech and streamline the entertainment during his shows.


On the second day Shanu proved that he is second to none in magic. 14-year-old Shanu was given the Academy’s certificate by the Director of the Academy, Chandrasenan Mithirmala. A third rank holder in the Summer Vacation Course, Shanu now does his higher course in magic.

Shanu, ever since his first session at the Magic Academy for a 'Preliminary Magic Course', was carried to the world of magic. His exceptional caliber in coin handling was noted by the masters at the Academy. They have only inspired the child to enter the classrooms for lower and higher courses in magic. Shanu is now proving that expectations about him in magic are not wrong.

Talented young magicians

Young bloods in magic glowed at the Magic Academy on 15th of August.


Magician Kannan (left) and magician Joys Manakkad.

Thiruvananthapuram: 15-year-old magician Kannan and 20-year-old magician Joys Manakkad proved their conjuring capacities at the Wonder World of the Magic Academy on the Independence Day.

Though younger, Kannan took the serious role of a matured magic teacher. He trained children a set of easy-to do magic tricks. A class 10 student of the Le Ecole Chempaka School, to impress children, he demonstrated a few hand tricks, too.

Kannan is a former student of the Magic Academy who has passed lower and higher courses in magic with excellent marks. A huge fan of card tricks, he is currently trying to acquire intricate card routines and manipulations. And his inspiration has been the classroom lessons gathered from the Academy. If Gopinath Muthukad's classes are still instilling good presentation skills, Raja Moorthy's lessons motivate him on cards.

Joys Manakkad had a firework of magic on stage. He made a one-man show full of swiftness and deftness. Executive Director of the Academy, Gopinath Muthukad greeted both of them and presented mementos. If you ask about his guru in magic, Joys would reply that he was led by good books on magic. He never forgets the name, Suresh Kallada, a young magician who has been supporting at all possible levels. An opportunity to present his magic on the stages of Wonder World auditorium was a glittering realisation of his much cherished dream.

Dussehara greetings!