Acclaimed magician Samala Venu in conversation Indus Age

The wizard is in his element. Only he doesn’t have a magic wand in his hand. No Abracadabras or if you are a desi no ‘Choo mantars’. No long diversionary talk or showmanship.

Just a run up to what is to come. And plain act. Everyone in the small private audience is skeptical. Fingers crossed. He asks randomly someone in the audience to hand a 5 dollar note. The person has only a twenty dollar bill (rich man).

The wizard assures confidence. Reluctantly, the $20 bill changes hands. The wizard folds the $20 bill into several folds, then swirls his hand over it and as the audience holds its breath, the wizard unfolds the $20 bill slowly, ever so slowly, heightening the anticipation.

As the last fold unfolds it is abracadabra time. The $20 bill turns out be a Rs 10 note. The audience gasps. If you have seen the Dynamo magician, David Copperfield or Chris Angel the street magician you will grasp where I am coming from. The owner of the $20 note is somewhat distressed.

The wizard assures him it will attain its original tenor later. More of this stuff and the audience is now believing. They are now witness to an Indian version of Dynamo magician.

Loud applause follows. The Indian ‘Dynamo’ is none other than Samala Venu a student of the famous duo PC Sorcar and K.Lal. Now a world famous and much awarded magician in his own right.

Samala Venu hails from Hyderabad, in Andhra Pradesh. Born on 06/07/1967, he became aware of the magic in the numbers in his birth date when a reporter from Khaleej Times in Middle East pointed this out to him. Since his childhood he had been interested in Magic.

He used to practice magic without letting his parents know. His father wanted him to be an Engineer but fate and he willed otherwise. He fell short in the rank from his school grades and that put paid to his father’s dreams.

He later did his M.Sc in Mathematics and Public Relations which to date has helped in his chosen profession – Magic. With extreme dedication and focus, Venu has been able to carve a niche for himself a place among the pantheon of magicians of the world.

Currently he is rated 4th that has been the driving force behind his dedication and enthusiasm is his desire to travel around the world with the help of his art. This also helped him get recognition and fame and most importantly awards.

A place in the Guinness Book of World Records, Limca Book of Records and now The Merlin award, to be conferred in September this year in Hyderabad.

He has also contributed to the Society. He started a Magicians Academy of India in Hyderabad where he teaches students Magic to starting a course in magic in the Telugu University in Hyderabad.

He started his career in State Bank of Hyderabad and performed magic tricks to help rural people understand banking and the various banking products and inculcate among them a culture in Banking. He has also helped promote Government schemes through his magic tricks.

Recently Samala Venu was in Sydney and Indus Age caught up with him for a chat. Below are the excerpts of the chat.

Harnath Sithamraju : What attracted you to Magic and when did you first start performing.

Samala Venu : Since my childhood my ambition has been to travel around the world.

Actually I was a Table Tennis player and when I was in my 10th I seriously started practising magic. My father wanted me to become an Engineer, but I could not score the required rank. And then I took up a graduate course from Osmania University.

The Principal of my college, noticing my interest and talent in magic encouraged me and also sent me to Kolkata to learn magic under P.C.Sorcar and K. Lal for 3 years. After this stint I did M.Sc (Maths) and got a job in State Bank of Hyderabad.

I then took a loan and invested in magic. All the time keeping my ambition of world travel alive.

During this time, I established 2 Guinness World Records – One is 36 hours of non-stop magic in 1990 and the other, in 1993, was blindfolded driving of 3681 kms on road for 17 days on Kinetic Honda, covering 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh including Tirumala Ghat Road.

While driving blindfolded I covered my eyes with a surgical cloth and then four bandages on top and a mask over all this. I successfully completed the ‘road show’.

After that I received awards from Central and State Governments and a Rashtrapathi award. In 1993 I made my first trip overseas to Canada and participated in a magic show. I moved from State level to National and then to International level in competitions.

HS : Where did you learn your magic and do you have a Guru?

SV : I learnt magic from B V Pattabhiram in Balanandam Magic School in 1980. I first started giving performances from 1981 onwards. Since then I have attended State and National level conventions where I acquired knowledge about magic. Magic creates an illusion.

There are three types of magic: close up tricks, conjuring and illusion. I started with close up tricks and conjuring and learnt illusion from PC Sorcar and K. Lal. And I am now an illusionist.

HS : Since the time you started to now, have you noticed any changes to the way magic is done. Has technology had any impact.

SV : A good question. Technology changes on a day to day basis. Magic is of Indian origin.

Magic is an Art and we can communicate through magic. Now a days in Western countries they are using electronic technology for good entertainment. In India we still show our magic in traditional ways and those who witness the Indian magic show feel there is some supernatural involvement. It is a kind of art but in western countries it is the use of technology that is prominent.

HS : Apart from entertainment what use is magic?

SV : Magic is a mass communication medium and we can propagate it, say for promoting bank schemes. Rural people will be attracted to magic and through this medium we can help in propagating bank schemes. By inducing them with magic tricks we can get across strong messages like doubling money in bank deposits etc. Also Government schemes can be communicated quite effectively through magic which is a non-conventional method.

HS : How different is magic from other performing arts ?

SV : We should appreciate magic as an art. Right from childhood to old age, everybody enjoys magic. It is different from other classical or western arts. Everybody can understand and enjoy.

I once performed in front of a 108 year old woman. And the moment I started my performance she opened her eyes and she wanted to get up and sit. Later, I was told that for the last 8 years she was unable to do any activity on her own nor sit up and her sudden activity now surprised everyone. That is the power of magic.

HS : Do you have any academy where you teach students magic ? And have such students gone on to continue in magic as a profession?

SV : I established a Magicians Academy of India in Hyderabad, 11 years back in 2003. Every year 30 students are taught magic on every second Sunday of the month. And as a result students have improved in their studies as well. Because of constant practising of magic students acquire powers of concentration and are better able to focus on their studies.

Because of the alertness and preparedness required for magic, students become more organised.

Since there is no University course in magic, I initiated a course in the Telugu University in Hyderabad which is a first in the world. The University has started a 6 months regular course in magic. And students are showing interest in the course.

Many of my students continue to practice magic on a full time and part time basis and some as a hobby.

HS : Of all the magic tricks that you have performed which one is more risky and difficult and which one is your favourite?

SV : One of my favourites is a stick that will dance in the air without any support and I got international recognition through that and also became known as “dancing stick Venu” and catapulted me to fourth place in world rankings.

The risky trick on the stage is where I will vanish from the stage and appear among the audience.

Another one is cutting a lady in two pieces and then re-joining her. It is one of the riskiest tricks. Being an illusionist I do take risk in most of the tricks and perform them.

HS : You have been named in Guinness Book of World Records and Limca Book of Records. And you are about to get the Merlin award. Where do you get all the energy to perform such tricks.

SV : (Laughs) Since the last 33 years I have been around the world performing in over 30 countries. I acquired International recognition for my performances. To reach my goal, generate energy and sustain enthusiasm I constantly learn and perform new tricks.

International Magicians Society of America (IMS) based in US has a select committee which selects candidates among magicians from all countries.

In recognition of my efforts and performances in the world of magic and developing it as an art and for my contributions for developing magic in India, this year, the Society has decided to award me the Merlin award.

Some of the previous recipients of this award are: David Copperfield, Chris Angel and PC Sorcar from India received this award 20 years back and I am only the second Indian to receive this award.

HS : What message would you like to give to aspiring young magicians.

SV : This is a very good art. Financially we can earn money, get name, fame and recognition.

And get to meet lot of people. You also can travel around the world. Learn magic. There is lot of scope for creativity. You will improve in your studies. And one day when you need to change your profession, like me, where I was supposed to be an Engineer but did MSc (Maths) and Masters in Public Relations, you can use magic to keep you going. I derive lot of satisfaction out of this profession.