During my regular walks to Banaras Hindu University, I was struck by a huge hoarding across the main Lanka Street. The hoarding advertised the magic show of the famous magician Sikandar, who was performing his magic show full of mystery and intrigue. The hoarding had the face of the magician wearing an outlandish gown which sparkled and shone. I looked at the hoarding and thought that this magic show was worth watching. I was writing a new novel called The Clown and the Little Girl, which was based around a circus, so I thought I might get some ideas from the magic show.
I decided to watch the evening six o’clock show. I wanted to see some local magic, Indian style. The show ticket was three hundred rupees; they also had a front row sofa for the family, which was one thousand. After buying the ticket, I walked in and was offered corn and juice by the many hawkers who were hanging around. The stage was large, and the seats were placed in an organized manner. On the left side of the stage was the audio-visual setup and the music. To me, it seemed that apart from just magic, there was going to be much song and dance in the show as well—and I was right.
Jadugar Sikandar Ka Maya Jal
The great Sikandar walked on the stage as the curtains fell back. The man was wearing a flashy silk gown with a large headgear. He spoke to the audience through a microphone and started off with some simple and easy magic tricks. The basic ones: taking a rabbit out of the hat, pulling out flowers from a stick, making a deck of cards vanish. But as the show moved on, the tricks got more complicated and, should I say, daring.
What added flavor to the show was the lighting and the special effects. Suddenly, the curtains fell, and a huge dinosaur walked out from behind and started chasing the magician, who ran for cover. This was fun, and I liked the 3D effect; it was very real. I was getting excited and clapped like mad after each trick.
The great magician Sikandar asked someone from the audience to come up on stage to help him with his great disappearing trick. I was more than happy to volunteer. I ran onto the stage and introduced myself as a Bollywood actor who had worked in many films. One by one, I was asked about my films, and soon the audience realized they had seen me with Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The audience clapped—now they had a celebrity among them. I was asked to test a huge wooden box in front of me and also eat all the locks and chains that would be used to lock up the magician in the box, which I duly did. Soon, the magician was locked inside the box, and I, along with the helpers, locked him in. Within minutes, the magician walked towards the stage from behind, dressed like a policeman. That was a neat trick! I had just locked him up—so how did he manage to escape the chains and locks? I was surprised. “You are a double! You are a twin brother of Sikandar. I know the secret of your magic trick—it’s like in Dhoom 3, it’s not magic,” I said. That was indeed the highlight of my show. I also danced on stage for the audience. It was great fun, and the entire thing was captured on my phone. Those would be great memories for me.
The magic tricks became more intense. I almost fell back in my seat when he cut a girl in half and then twisted her head around. After the interval, we had the clown who entertained us by eating an entire sword. The entire show had great lighting and visual effects, with even smoke machines used to enhance the intrigue and effect of the magic. Thus, the show also gave the feel of being a sort of opera. There was a gorilla who appeared on the stage and just started dancing like mad. The great Sikandar would play with doves and make them vanish into thin air. Each trick had been choreographed perfectly, and it’s clear that there was a show director who had directed each of the acts.
But cutting a girl in half was the boldest trick. The show also had a nationalistic touch and feel, with kids running around with the Indian flag. All in all, it was a full-time pass. The audience could take snaps with Sikandar at the end of the show and could also make a video with him. I realized that I too had admirers in the audience, as people and families walked up to me for my autograph and to take selfies with me. That was an ego boost for me, and I came back from the show, which lasted over two hours, fully charged and invigorated. It was a total Paisa Vasool show for me, and I recommend it to all. If you are in Varanasi, you should watch Jadugar Sikandar Ka Maya Jaal.
