P. C. Sorcar

Protul Chandra Sorcar (23 February 1913 – 6 January 1971) was an Indian magician.[1] He was an internationally active magician throughout the 1950s and 1960s, performing his Indrajal show before live audiences and on television. Sorcar died of a heart attack at the age of 57 in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan, on 6 January 1971, where he was performing.[2] P.C. Sorcar is known also as P.C. Sorcar Senior (as his son P.C. Sorcar Jr. also performs under the same name), is renowned as "Father of Modern Indian Magic".[3]

Protul Chandra Sorcar
P. C. Sorcar
Born(1913-02-23)23 February 1913
Tangail, Bengal Presidency, British India (now in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh)
Died6 January 1971(1971-01-06) (aged 57)
Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan
NationalityIndian
OccupationMagician
SpouseBasanti Devi
Children3 sons, Manick Sorcar, P. C. Sorcar Jr., P. C. Sorcar, Young
RelativesPiya Sorcar, Maneka Sorcar, Moubani Sorcar, Mumtaz Sorcar (grandchildren)

Career

At the age of 21, Sorcar decided to give up formal education (he was likely to study to become an engineer), and decided to become a conjuror despite the profession's low esteem in India.[4]: 151 

Sorcar became famous in the mid-1930s, when he performed shows in Kolkata and also in Japan and several other countries. Among other routines, he performed a Floating Lady routine featuring aerial suspension in 1964.[5] Ganapati Chakraborty was his mentor.[6]

In 1956, he performed the sawing a woman in half illusion on the BBC's Panorama program.[7] When he performed it on live television, it drew huge attention in the United Kingdom because the climax made it appear as though the women had actually been cut in half and died, which caused a public panic.[8]

His self-appointed title was "The World's Greatest Magician".[4]: 152 

Sorcar died in Japan in 1971.[4]: 153 

Personal life

Sorcar was married to Basanti Devi. They were the parents of the animator, director and laserist Manick Sorcar and magicians P. C. Sorcar Jr. and P. C. Sorcar, Young.

Awards
  • Jadusamrat P.C. Sorcar Sarani The Government of India has named a major street in Calcutta after him
  • Padma Shri (the Lotus), awarded by the President of India on 26 January 1964
  • The Sphinx (Oscar of Magic), US, 1946 and 1954
  • The Royal Medallion, German Magic Circle

Postage stamp
Sorcar on a 2010 stamp of India

On 23 February 2010, India Post issued a commemorative stamp to honour him.[9][10]

Publications
  • Magic for You (1966)
  • More Magic for You (1965)
  • History of Magic (1970)
  • Indian Magic (1983)

See also

References
  1. Parvez, Md Masud (2012). "Sorcar, PC". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  2. "PC Sorcar: India's 'maharajah of magic' who terrified the UK". BBC.
  3. "Father of modern magic remembered". The Times of India. 24 February 2009. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  4. Randi, James (1992). Conjuring. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-08634-2. OCLC 26162991.
  5. "Magic of PC Sorcar Senior". Archived from the original on 27 November 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  6. "P. C. Sorcar | The Asian Age Online, Bangladesh". The Asian Age. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  7. "PC Sorcar: India's 'maharajah of magic' who terrified the UK". BBC News. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  8. "PC Sorcar: India's 'maharajah of magic' who terrified the UK". BBC News. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  9. "Postage Stamps". India Post.
  10. "Postage stamp on P.C. Sorcar issued". The Hindu. 24 February 2010.
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