Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Conjuring up magical ideas for the marginalised

Staff Reporter

ABRACADABRA: Magician Bhagyanath performs at a HANDS show in Thiruvananthapuram.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: `A' for Assam, `B' for Bengal... a boy-magician puts cutouts of alphabets representing each state in a box. After the wave of the magic wand the box is opened. Lo and behold, in place of the individual alphabets is the word `Bharat.'

In the one-hour magic-mimicry-songs show by the Health, Arts and National Development Service (HANDS) charitable society, at different places across the State, the underlying theme is national integration.

On stage are record-holding magicians Bhagyanath and his brother Jeevannath who are performing for the inmates of an orphanage at Thiruvananthapuram as part of the `Peace Through Entertainment' programme of HANDS.

"We began this show for children in orphanages, juvenile homes and mental hospitals. The idea was to let them have an hour of fun and help them forget pains that life has thrust on them," says magician Naath who runs the society.

The series of shows that began at Kottayam a couple of months ago came to the city recently. Performances were organised at the Juvenile Home and at the Mental Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. The show starts with a couple of songs by Bhagyanath, followed by a mimicry show by Jeevannath.

"To make the audience feel part of the show we ask the children to help us prepare the stage, draw the curtain and act as volunteers for the magic show. What we perform are simple tricks without expensive stage props.

The total expense for a show comes to just Rs. 6,000. We find sponsors for that," explains Mr. Naath.

A subtle message that HANDS seeks to send to the audience, which often include children who have been cast out of the mainstream, is that if a small boy (the magician) can achieve recognition the right way, so can each and every child in the audience.

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