Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 16, 2007
ePaper

KOLKATA: As the world eagerly awaits the final instalment in the wildly popular Harry Potter series, a top Indian magician says he plans to open a school of magic in the city for those under the boy wizard’s spell.

“Harry Potter has made magic popular in the world. A magic school will be able to attract many people,” Pradip Chandra Sorcar, the 61-year-old illusionist who once seemed to make the Taj Mahal disappear, said.

“I am working on a comprehensive course on Indian magic to be divided into two parts. I am in talks with the State-run Rabindra Bharati university to introduce the course at the post-graduate level,” he said.

“If the talks breaks down, I will start my own university of magic art,” he added.

Mr. Sorcar has wowed generations of Indians with his illusions, which he says are based in 2,000 years of knowledge which has been passed down through the generations by word of mouth, either from father to son or teacher to students. He himself comes from a family of magicians and is assisted on stage by his wife and three daughters.

“Indian magic is a misunderstood art. People think it’s a rabbit out of a hat. I want to prove that wrong,” he said. “It will be a great thing if that art is taught in schools and universities.”

Mr. Sorcar said his next trick would involve the world-famous Dal Lake in the scenic Himalayan region of Kashmir but declined to give further details.

Magic shows once were an important form of entertainment in India, but have increasingly lost their popularity to television shows and the Internet. — AFP

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That is so awesome.
I wonder if they will teach wicca/pagan beliefs,
I think this may catch on all around the world...
Good find Iwona!

man if that school opens and chris angel is there too I'd go too lol

who's chris angel??

I'll take a stab at an explanation here though i don't know much about him.
He's a rather popular/crazy (in my opinion) magician.

oh,
thank you, sista!

...what about Copperfield..? do you think he would be good as a teacher?

Hmm... i don't know. Maybe.
*sits confused*

Lily, I read about a Wiccan school last week, several magic schools have opened up since the Potter mania started, mostly in the U.S., but I don't know how long they'll last. Seems kinda like a fad thing.

Chupa, Copperfield will always be my favorite, I'd go to that school if he taught there

I wanna learn magicks!

i used to watch his shows regularly several years ago, he's a good showman, it goes without saying, but i got tired with his "star" look eventually...
hmmm....my intuition tells me he's your fav not only because he's a good magician

I don't have a favorite magician, but I will say this Houdini was the man!

Haha, ok he also has a certain charm But he's got to be getting on in years by now I'd imagine. I remember him making the Statue of Liberty dissapear when I was a little kid!

Minty, I love Houdini too, he led a fascinating life.

werid, maybe i could go there and learn necromancy

Good luck with that Evan.