mid-day spoke to illusionist Karan Singh about his upcoming show as part of his nationwide Not An Influencer tour
Karan Singh Magic tailors each show to the audience and the city he’s performing in, and can hardly wait to perform in Mumbai. Pic/Instagram
Despite having amassed an impressive social media currency featuring viral collaborations with some of the country’s most high-profile celebrities, Karan Singh doesn’t view himself as an influencer—at least not in the traditional sense. However, he says, “I can influence your thoughts in the sense that I can make you think certain things, which is the theme of my show.” Singh, known as the performer who figured out Shah Rukh Khan’s ATM PIN, will demonstrate his powers of influence in Bandra next Sunday.
Singh has been described as a mind-reader, mentalist, magician and hypnotist, but he defines himself as psychological illusionist. “There’s a little bit of psychology to what I do and,” he adds, “of course, there’s traditional magic as well.” His act shares some features with conventional magic, maintaining the sense of mystery of traditional shows, but is also imbued with a refreshing self-awareness. While he still aims to leave his audience with a sense of mystery, for Singh, “the end goal is entertainment. I’m just an entertainer... just trying to make people smile.”
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The audience is very involved in every aspect of the performance. “Unlike the old magic shows,” says the Delhi resident, “the only prop I use is the audience. They get to be on stage, they even get to decide the narrative...” A particularly creative detail of Singh’s tour is that the ending of the show is unique to the audience and the city he is performing in.
The man who first developed an interest in magic at the age of 11, says he has performed in Mumbai several times before but is keen to present his all-new material. “I’ve added many new hypnosis-based acts,” says the 31-year-old, “that involve everyone in the audience. This has received an incredible response wherever I’ve performed, and I’m really looking forward to doing it in Mumbai.”
There appears to already be a lot of interest in Singh’s upcoming performance, and his thriving social media presence is likely a contributing factor. Several of his Instagram reels, in which he performs with celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar, have gone viral. Discussing the difference between live performances and Instagram reels, which have gained him over 1,60,000 followers, Singh says, “There’s a bit in the show where I guess somebody’s phone password or their ATM pin. If I put up a video doing that, inevitably people’s reaction would be to think it is scripted or fake. So, you have to see it live. My shows are best experienced in person, not on social media.”
Beyond all the illusions and performances, however, Singh is very passionate about what his work can do at a deeper level. He says, “Given everything that happens in the world, people are very divided, and so one of the themes of the show is connecting them.” Talking about what he enjoys most about being on tour, he adds, “No matter where people come from or how old they are—15- to 80-year-olds have attended my show—everyone reacts the same way. People just come together because of the art form, and I think that’s my favourite part.”
WHAT: Not An Influencer, by Karan Singh Magic’s
WHEN: June 9, 6 PM
WHERE: St. Paul’s Media Complex, TPS III, Bandra West
PRICE: Rs 499 onwards
TO BOOK: www.bookmyshow.com
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