Young magician Abhinraj astonishes his seniors

Eight years ago he was a 12-year-old boy attending a magic camp. Today, he has the genius to train magicians.


Teacher's mantle: Abhinraj trains active magicians at the 73rd Perfect Performer Course at the Magic Academy.

Thiruvananthapuram: When 20-year-old magician Abhinraj introduced an exciting new routine for magic with pen, veteran magicians were thoroughly amazed. The ordinary pen was made extraordinary first by making it elastic, then vanishing its cap and later disappearing the pen in total. The pen was retrieved in a jiffy from thin air and was used to pierce a currency note worth Rs.100 that to surprise of all, was found intact on withdrawing the pen. The pen along with the currency was then circulated among viewers for confirming the genuineness. Mind it, all these were performed right beneath the nose of spectators without a second’s break. And the audience was not laymen, but well-experienced senior magicians.

To Abhinraj, today it was his debut as a lecturer at the orientation class for senior magicians. There were a lot in his bag of magic including transporting coins bearing the signatures of the audience members from one place to the other and quick change of selected cards. Abhinraj was praised by his seniors for two reasons: one, the speed and skill behind his routines and the graciousness he has shown in sharing many of his pet tricks to others.

Describing Abhinraj's class as 'Excellent',31-year-old amateur magician from Lithuania, Augustas Kligys (right) added: "Interesting tips and remarks about performing close-up magic. Excellent presentation... Enjoyed workshop very much."

Abhinraj’s evolution into an erudite teacher in the art of awe within a short span of eight years, is thoroughly amazing. His area of teaching is ‘Close-up’ magic, a difficult one that demands impeccable skill in sleights of hand and rigorous practicing. Along with magic, this youngster pursues B.Sc. course in Nursing at the KIMS Hospital here.

It was eight years back that a 12-year-old Abhinraj came to the Academy with an inquisitive mind to learn magic at a children’s Christmas magic camp. Hailing from Manacaud here, Abhin’s first visit at the Academy was holding the hands of his father Rajendran Nair and mother Alphonsa. During the camp, Gopinath Muthukad, his favourite ‘magic uncle’ taught a few easy-to do tricks. The magic bug bit the boy, who remained gripped by the show. His love for magic grew day after day. Parents only supported and the boy joined summer vacation course in magic at the Academy.
In 2003, after watching a scintillating debut show of the boy, Mr. Muthukad took his magic hat and placed it on the boy’s head. It was a beginning.

Magician and retired government officer, T. Sadasivan hands over Magic Academy's certificate of honour to the teacher of the day, Abhinraj.

Now Abhin keeps magic closer to his heart along with his paramedical learning. For the patients of the hospital where he studies, Abhin is a darling nurse. He not only provides medicines and due attention for his patients, but also wipes out their worries by entertaining them through magic numbers. Last year, a documentary on Abhin’s story was telecast on the official TV of Japan in the slot titled, ‘Asian Smiles’.

Abhin has a solution

To keep your magic youthful

Thiruvananthapuram: Youthful power to keep magic ever-green and impressive. This is what the New Year session of the monthly Perfect Performer Course has for magicians on 9th of January 2010 at the Magic Academy.

In order to offer this precious gift without loosing its value, the Academy has deputed one of its proud products, Abhinraj as teacher. Mr. Abhinraj, now doing his degree in Nursing at the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, has magic in his blood.

An ever enthusiastic experimentalist in the application of magic as a medium for counseling and therapy, this 20-year-old teacher has devised his own styles of presentation. His one-hour class during Onam session of PPC in August could evoke overwhelming response among magicians. This time, Mr. Abhinraj will be bringing a bag full of captivating close-up techniques.

Teen magician’s ‘Eco-Magic’ marks Environment Day at Magic Academy

Magician Gopinath Muthukad has shown to the world that magic is a palatable medium for conveying virtuous messages in the society. He has set the ball rolling by performing a nationwide ‘Gandhi Mantra’ and statewide ‘Illusion against Pollution’ upholding Gandhian values and ecological messages.
When World Environment Day was observed solemnly at his Magic Academy on 5th June, quite expectedly, the main attraction became an environmental-awareness generating magic show by one of his young disciples, Abhinraj. 17-year-old Abhinraj’s magic messaged on certain pertinent principles of nature love and environmental conservation.
The magician distributed empty envelops to Kendriya Vidyalaya students who had gathered there to attend the ongoing magic camp. Each envelop carried, one alphabet of the word, ‘pollution’ written over it. Then he inserted strong stainless steel spoons one each into these envelops. Each child was then asked to think about an environmental pollution they knew. After a few seconds, when these spoons were taken out, they were in fully bent and twisted state, leaving the kids dumbfounded. “Environmental degradation turns our life into a shapeless state like this”, the magician announced before the gazing spectators.

Before the show concluded a few more meaningful numbers were staged by the teen magician. This included breaking into pieces and rejoining a vibrant red woolen thread to show how our initiatives could reinstate a degraded environment. To show how the soil gets spoilt by non-degradable plastic wastes, the magician had a trick of vanishing a small piece of red silk inside a bigger green one.
Abhinraj is the first prize winner in the first State-level eco-magic competitions held last year under the aegis of the Magic Academy and the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment. Magician Manu Poojappura spoke on the occasion.