Gazal singer Anup Jelota inaugurates Muthukad’s programme season

Open sesame! Singer Anup Jelota (third from left) waves a magic wand and produces the poster for Gopinath Muthukad's latest magic show, World of Illusions from thin air. From left: Singer, G. Venugopal, Mumbai's businessman, Prathap Nair and Gopinath Muthukad.

Thiruvananthapuram: “If Gazals and Bhajans slowly cast a spell in the minds of audience, an nimble magician like Muthukad swiftly does it”, said acclaimed Bhajans and Gazals singer, Anup Jelota. He said this while inaugurating magician Gopinath Muthukad’s new programme season at Tagore theatre on the 1st of August. The occasion was the anniversary celebrations of Terumo Penpol and the singer was an invited guest of the magician. Mr. Jelota accompanied by the businessman in Mumbai, Prathap Nair arrived in the city with the only purpose of inaugurating and watching Mr. Muthukad’s show.

The singer, along with his Malayalam counterpart, G. Venugopal and Mr. Nair, stepped into the magic stage after the first three items of the magician. With a magic wand received from his magician friend, Mr. Jelot touched a blank fram mounted on a stage and in no time there appeared a multicolour poster of the programme. During his inaugural speech Mr. Jelota said that magic was an art of enchanting beauty and if a charming performer like Mr. Muthukad tried a chance in the Bollywood, he would support. He was also in support of the magician’s idea of creating a composition by weaving together magic and music.

Mr. Muthukad’s new version of entertainment show titled, ‘World of Illusions’ was presented with the support of 3000kg of materials and manpower of 25 supporting artistes. The two-hour-long magic had deft use of latest light and sound techniques and introduction of an array of illusions tried for the first time on the country’s magic stages. Audience burst into laughter when the magician’s masterpiece cine-magic, hitherto presented on the backdrop of an ice cream parlour was staged incorporating two comic characters – a magician named ‘Gopi’ and ‘Muthukad’ an idle. After the magic show, Mr. Jelota also went with the magician to watch the final round of a music reality show held in the city.

Show in Maldives

Around noon next day, when Mr. Muthukad and his troupe boarded flight to Maldives, Mr. Jelota and Mr. Nair boarded a return flight to Mumbai. In Maldives, the magic troupe will be staging six shows as part of the Indo-Maldives Friendship Festival under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the High Commission of India in Maldives.

Muthukad's magic for U.A.E.

Magic in the air: The Baseline Advertisers, U.A.E. has augmented their publicity drive for making the upcoming magical extravaganza titled,'Magic in Arabia' presented by Muthukad and team a grand success in different cities of U.A.E. Seen above is an e-format of one of the posters of the impending event. The magic tour is scheduled for February 2010.

Awesome magic carries AIDS day message

Magic of Red Ribbon: Health Minister, P.K. Sreemati with Gopinath Muthukad performing a magical launch of information kit released by Kerala State AIDS Control Society in Thiruvananthapuram.

Thiruvananthapuram: State-level function organised by the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) was held at the University Senate Hall here on the 1st of December. To carry the messages of the World AIDS Day, the KSACS has roped in the assistance of Gopinath Muthukad and his magic. A connoisseur of magical communications, Mr. Muthukad did his job in a thoroughly fascinating way. In between his 120-minutes’ entertainment magic show titled, ‘World of Illusions’, he inserted a few customized magic to speak poignantly on the facts on HIV and AIDS.

The magician began his performance as usual with a thrilling appearance and production of a team of artistes from nowhere. After a few electrifying items the time came for magic with a message. “There are four major ways of getting HIV infection. This includes unsafe sexual relations, unhygienic syringes, transfusion of unsafe blood and an infected mother from whom the child in the womb gets the infection”, Mr. Muthukad started with saying these. Then a young energetic football player was introduced.

The magic show then sketched a story of this youth who out of curiosity tries for the first time in his life, a dose of drugs from the syringe gifted by his friends. However he averted a big danger and got his life elongated. Thanks to the Joythis Kendra were he was tested for free and confirmed HIV positive and the Ushus Kendra where he got free Anti Retroviral Treatment. Final message of the show was this: “Anybody can become HIV positive, but they can lead a happy life through timely tests and prompt intake of ART medicines. Remember, HIV infection is as manageable as Diabetes”, saying this, the magician stopped the magic with a message and continued with his stellar entertainment part of the show.

The World of Illusion then continued with all its glitter and glamour carrying the spectators to a world of fun, fantasy and fascination. Doctors and health workers of the KSACS were all praise for the magician who conveyed the messages in an impressive style.

In between, the Minister of Health, P.K. Sreemati was invited to the stage and was given a magic wand. In no time the minister tapped a blank frame with the wand, envelop embedded with a large red ribbon was produced inside the frame. And that marked a magical way of launching information kits to be distributed for health centres.

Waves of wonder rock Tirur

Tirur, Malappuram: Three-day magic festival organised by the Magic Academy with the support from the Municipality of Tirur offered a whirlpool of wonders for the town. The festival was held during 27-29 November at the Wagon Tragedy memorial municipal town hall. To herald the pomp there was an extra performance on 26th exclusively for the students of Bharatma Senior Secondary School here.

Tirur is a historic town in Malappuram, the home district of Gopinath Muthukad. For the people of his soil, Mr. Muthukad had ‘World of Illusions’ an amazing new edition of his entertainment shows. The show comprised of a sumptuous mix of awe-inspiring magic, elating music, hip hops, drama and light and sound spectacles.

Profile of an overwhelming audience of a day at the three-day wonder fair.

Three days of the event were marked by an overflowing crowd in the hall and beelines of people at the ticket counter. The Municipality’s support was mainly because of the free magic show the Academy had offered for spreading health and hygiene messages and the publicity offered to the slogan, ‘Clean Green Tirur’.

Surprise guest: Noted lyricist and composer, Kaithapram Damodaran Namboodiri visited the magic troupe at the Government Rest House on one of the festival days.

The funds raised through the magic festival would be used by the Academy for various welfare measures it has undertaken for magicians.

In need of tickets: People beeline at the entry point.

Five-day Magic Festival at Guruvayur

Guruvayur: Famous by virtue of the Lord Krishna’s temple, this town would become a stage for magic from 6th to 10th of December. Municipal town hall will be the venue for this five-day magic festival held by the Magic Academy for generating funds for building a centre for the traditional street magicians of the country. ‘Muthukad’s World of Magic’ the latest edition of Gopinath Muthukad’s illusion show at 6.30p.m. on everyday, is going to be the major attraction of the event.

The event will have two major objectives attached: one, the philanthropic cause of salvaging traditional street magicians who are on the verge of extinction and two, to popularize the art of magic. Mr. Muthukad’s service will be totally free so as to enable the Academy to accumulate maximum income out of the programme.

A Welcome Committee with M.L.A., K.V. Abdul Khader Municipal Chairman, M. Krishnadas and Crime Branch Dy. S.P., K.B. Suresh as patrons have been constituded for the programme.

Palakkad to have a Magic Festival

Palakkad: This district of the Malabar region of Kerala, will soon experience the thrills and frills of a festival of wonders. Magic Academy in association with the District Co-operative Bank (DCB) has set the stage ready for a three-day magic fair here at the Town Hall during 29, 30, 31 August 2008.

Adding glamour to the whole event will be evening performances of the brand-new ‘World of Illusions’ magic show performed by Gopinath Muthukad. The 120-minute-long show is well-knit with some of the newest illusions brought to the magic stage.

Not over, the three day magic feast will also have three days of curtain raiser events.

This will include an enchanting News Headlines Prediction magic on 22nd and 23rd at the head office of the DCB and an illusion stunt performed at the New Bus Stand on 28th of Aug.

These preludes are supported respectively by the DCB and the District Police. Revenue generated out of this festival will be set apart for the much-ambitious project of establishing a magical theme park in Thiruvananthapuram.