Srinagar: Even as magicians on television usually bewilder viewers with their acts, Aazan Makhdoomi (22) somehow fully understood how the tricks were performed when he, as a child, first saw a magic show.Now, this self-taught ‘close-up magician/ mentalist’ amuses audiences at small gatherings in city-based restaurants and other public places. Aazan also wants to take up magic as a profession in times when it is considered to be a dying art form.“As a kid, when I first saw magic being performed on television, people around me were bemused. But I understood how some of the tricks were performed. Later, I practised these tricks and was able to perform them easily. And even though I told some of my friends the secret behind the tricks, they were unable to perform them. Only I could do them. That is when I decided to take magic seriously,” said Aazan, who lives in the Rawalpora area of the summer capital. His interest in magic grew with time and he gradually honed his skills with the help of the Internet. “I am a self-taught magician. First, I learnt the art after watching videos on YouTube. Later, I also bought tutorials from professional magicians to perfect my skills,” he said while adding that there was ‘no known’ magician in the Valley. “I also tried my best to find a performing magician but could not find one in Kashmir,” he said. Aazan said close-up magic was tougher to perform with people watching at a close distance as compared to traditional shows which are performed on stage. “So far I have only performed at restaurants and small gatherings. After getting encouragement for my performances at small shows, I have decided to take it up as a profession,” Aazan added.
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