“I performed my first stage show when I was fifteen and there was no looking back after that. I was awarded the title ‘Ekalavya’, as I did not have a teacher. Ekalavya is a prodigal archer in the Indian epic Mahabharata. He became the best archer of his times by sheer practice and will power, as he could not afford to have a teacher.”
Divya Kaeley
Magician and illusionist Rajeshwar Wupradrishta / Wuprisha (Magician Raj), born and brought up in Hyderabad city, Andhra Pradesh, is a Magician for over two decades. Raj and his wife Rama were both working as teachers in the Maldives, when in 2005 Tsunami wreaked havoc – they applied for immigration and are now based in Mississauga.
A graduate in Commerce, Diploma in Electro Homeopathy Medicine and a Post Graduate in Management and Computer Science, Magician Raj does not consider magic an esoteric craft removed from life. Magician Raj has enthralled kids and adults alike. He has done shows for corporate companies, get-togethers, product promotions in Show Rooms, Star Hotels, Schools, Colleges, etc. He has done several shows in India and abroad, and was cited as an Amazing Magician by Kannada Sangha, Toronto, in April 2010.
Raj uses his skill to uplift emotions, bringing hope, cheer and happiness to his audience. He believes that the aim of magic is mainly to entertain people, and happiness is part of entertainment. He attains happiness from the “bridge of oneness” he builds with his spectators. “Big smiles, amazed looks. That’s no illusion, simply wonderful magic.” Magician Raj talks magic and life encompassing around it with Generation Next.
A transition from computer science to magic – how did it happen?
I was interested in magic even before I took computer science as my profession. Computers is my profession; magic is my passion.
What do you think of the magic scene in GTA?
There is a good potential for magicians in GTA. Magic is such a medium of entertainment that it crosses all barriers. People of all age and ethnicities can enjoy it equally. With right talent and publicity, magicians have a huge market for performing at birthday parties, weddings, corporate events, cultural events, fundraising programs etc. in future I plan to drive a car or ride a motor bike blindfolded in GTA for a good cause. I’m looking for a sponsor/sponsors and permissions from authorities.
Any particular magicians you are inspired by?
As a child I was inspired by a famous Indian magician Shadow (he is also known as Andhra Sorcar). In fact, it was after seeing one of his performances that I became interested in learning magic. At the end of his show he said that magicians decieve the audience by the sleight of their hands, they do not have any special magical powers. I learnt that magic was an art coupled with a science and can be mastered with extreme patience and practice. At that moment, I decided that I would to become a magician. I started my practice, by keenly observing performing magicians. But, I did not learn magic under anyone’s apprenticeship. I learnt magic on my own (They call me the Ekalavya of magic). Other magicians who inspired me was P.C Sorcar, K. Lal and Gogia Pasha.
Would you like to see your children too as magicians?
I would love to see them as inheritors of my passion. However, I am and will be with them no matter which fields they choose for themselves. At present, they are learning from me and assist me in most of my shows.
What advice would you like to give to newcomers who are interested in this profession?
Canada provides an opportunity and a great place for new talents. GTA has a great market with great people. Work hard, be versatile and you will definitely be successful.
What makes a moment truly “magical”?
It is a point in time when a person is transported, even if only for a fleeting moment, back to a place where wonder and fantasy of childhood still exists, when anything and everything is possible!
When was your first magic show?
I performed my first stage show when I was fifteen and there was no looking back after that. I was awarded the title ‘Ekalavya’, as I did not have a teacher. Ekalavya is a prodigal archer in the Indian epic Mahabharata. He became the best archer of his times by sheer practice and will power, as he could not afford to have a teacher. Coming back to my story, I took a break from performing stage shows after a successful career spanning over a decade, with several shows, awards and recognitions, to concentrate on my studies and to have a traditional career. With the encouragement of my family, I have reignited my passion with a new zeal.
You’ve also engaged in social work through magic.
I’m a member of A.P. Magic Circle, who has rendered social service by performing a number of shows in rural India to educate the people about social evils like witchcraft and black magic. I’ve conducted summer and winter magic camps for youth for their overall development and coordination enhancement with the Department of Culture and Department of Youth Services. In fact, I was the first to use magic as a new medium of communication in Andhra Pradesh to popularize the products of Banks under the program, ‘reaching out to the villages’. Besides this, I have also performed at a number of charity magic shows and blind fold rallies for earthquake relief, flood relief and for fund raising events by clubs for social causes.
