Life in the day of a magician

Meet Kannan Purusothaman, a modern magician from Chennai who turned his passion into a successful career.

Have you ever pondered if there is a touch of magic in the life of a magician on Elliot’s Beach in Besant Nagar, who pulls coins from cards and makes them dance in mid-air?

Meet Kannan Purusothaman, 26, of Velachery, who, despite facing many financial troubles growing up, had a single dream: to master one skill among his many passions. Today, he’s a modern magician and runs a company, Indian Magic Pro. Pointing to the calendar in his living room, which has many dates circled, he talks about the list of things he has to do for the month, which don’t quite follow a nine-to-five routine.

His mornings start at 6 a.m., researching new tricks, perfecting old ones, and practicing in front of a mirror or his wife P.S. Logapriya. When he’s not booked for a corporate event or a wedding, you can find him performing magic and mind-reading tricks at Elliot’s Beach, Pondy Bazaar, Semmozhi Poonga, or amusement parks. “Based on how the audience react, I include these tricks in my professional shows, which extend beyond birthday parties,” Mr Kannan adds.

“Most of my corporate shows are only booked in the evenings, so mornings are reserved for practice,” he says. “You know, it is not just about perfecting the trick but also the showmanship, humour, scripting, and storytelling, which is the other half of a magician. I even learned English through my own storytelling practice sessions,” he comments.

Mr. Kannan calls magicians ‘underrated’ in the digital world. “I’ve been practising magic since 2014. When I studied engineering, small magic shows helped me cover expenses,” the engineer-turned-full-time magician says. Magic is often looked down upon or termed silly, but it is indeed an art,” he adds.

This magician believes his journey was shaped by hard work, not a touch of magic, which eventually took him to New Orleans and Miami, where he performed on cruises. “I was bullied growing up throughout school. But today, I’ve built my identity from scratch. Now, all my shows are based out of Chennai and parts of Tamil Nadu because home really is where the heart is,” he adds.