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Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam film superstar Mohanlal finally gave in to pressure from several quarters and yesterday decided to call off his proposed stunt scheduled
for Sunday.

Mohanlal was to perform the act called Burning Illusion ahead of a four-day international magicians meet, beginning on May 1.

The superstar is reported to have got several calls urging him to withdraw because of the risks involved. He was also taken aback when some of his fans threatened to commit suicide if he decided to go ahead with the stunt.

A number of magicians from Kerala and outside were opposing the act, saying that the filmstar was trivialising a risky stunt.

But the man who planned it all, Kerala magician Gopinath Muthukad, had said that the actor had performed the stunt more than 100 times to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Publicity hungry

“Four or five magicians have come together and are creating a ruckus for publicity. Mohanlal has been practising the stunt for the past one year, so there was no reason for the stunt to go wrong. He would have emerged unscathed,” said Muthukad.

Samrat, a leading magician from Kerala had been advising Mohanlal against doing the stunt. He was even arrested on Tuesday for holding a demonstration against the stunt.

Risk of failure

Grandson of the legendary Kolkata magician P C Sorcar, Pouroosh Sorcar (Master) felt if Mohanlal failed, it would have been a huge setback for magicians all over
the country.

“It was a risky stunt, so if he pulled it off it would have been good, but if he couldn’t, then it would not have been a good thing for magicians,” he said.

The stunt

Mohanlal was to be tied in chains and locked. The keys would have been handed over to the dignitaries on the show. He would then be put inside a box which would be thrown in a ball of fire from which he would have to escape. The stunt takes around 20 minutes, which many magicians say is quite risky.