Eyefish Media Films
About Magician Ishamudin
From Indian street magic
- to the stage of world magic
By journalist Kent W. Dahl
Ishamudin Khan knows his magic. He was born into a family of traditional Indian street performers, who has been practicing magicians for generations.
However, nothing prepared Ishamudin for developing one of the most difficult magic performances in the world.
The Great Indian Rope Trick was merely a very famous legend until Ishamudin put his mind to solve the puzzle.
As is customary in the magic tribe in India, Ishamudin learned his magic skills from his father on the job.
Since Ishamudin was a toddler the family traveled from village to village all over colorful India.
Usually the children of street magicians participate in the shows.
At first Ishamudin was watching his father, Monoj Khan, perform.
Ishamudin became part of the show, when he was five yers old.
Performing gypsies
The Khan-family belongs to the Indian performing gypsy tribe called Masad. Besides magicians the Masad tribe also includes, for instance, singers, dancers and acrobats.
Magic tricks of the Masad tribe are quite different from the conventional Western magic.
The Masad magic covers tricks with names like »The mango tree«, »The diving duck«, »Rice cooking«, and »The Indian basket«.
Normally an Indian street performance is a mixture of close-up magic and illusions.
Coin tricks and the »cups and balls« trick belongs to the former.
»Magic sticks« is part of the latter repertoire.
Ishamudin could master all the tricks, when he was in his teens.
The Great Indian Rope Trick
When Ishamudin reached the age of seven his family settled in Delhi.
This enabled Ishamudin to go to school. It was instrumental in rousing his curiosity in one of the most famous legends in Indian history.
He read about the Great Indian Rope Trick. According to his book it was one of India's most famous magic tricks. However nobody had been able to perform it. So far it was only a legend.
Ishamudin decided to take up the challenge of realizing the legend.
He succeded by using a blend of his ancestral magic mindset and formal schooling.
He performed the Great Indian Rope Trick in front of the world press in 1997. The feat has been labeled one of the 50 greatest tricks in the word.
Going abroad
Since then Ishamudin has performed his Great Indian Rope Trick not only in India, but also increasingly abroad in mainly Europe. This has also created demand for his traditional street magic on the international scene. He is performing in cultural festivals and on television on a regular basis.
A dying art in India
Indian street magic transcending abroad is not only entertaining a foreign audience.
Somewhat ironically it is also helping to keep traditional Indian street magic alive.
Despite being closely ingrained in Indian mythology and history, the art is less visible in the bigger Indian cities today.
It is still possible to see traditional street magic in the smaller towns and cultural fairs in India. However, the art is dying out.
Ishamudin is one of an increasingly scarce number of Masad-magicians who is stubbornly keeping the show going in India.
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Magician Ishamudin Khan performing in Tokyo.
Photo Kent W. Dahl©
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English or Japanese subtitles
