‘I could make the moon disappear if I wanted to’

Popular magician, Franz Harary is back in India after he made the Taj Mahal disappear on his last visit. This time he will be a judge and mentor for Star One’s- India’s Magic Star show.

Popular magician, Franz Harary is back in India after he made the Taj Mahal disappear on his last visit. This time he will be a judge and mentor for Star One’s- India’s Magic Star show.

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“Anything outside the laws of physics if magic; it’s just all about presentation,” he says. “I like manipulating large objects. These days I can say let’s get the moon to vanish and no one will look at me weirdly.

One can spin visual images into illusions the audiences simply cannot fathom. Take the many cows on the road in India as an example. I get inspired by these sights everyday!” he chuckles.

When asked if he is threatened by young illusion artists like David Blaine and Chris Angel he says, “We as magicians need to count on each other. Chris is a great friend of mine, even though his methods are a little creepy,” he laughs.

“I am different because I take risks.” Harary says India has changed over the years and the audiences cannot be fooled as easily as they could earlier. “This gives me a boost to try bigger, crazier and more radical illusions,” he exclaims.

Who knows, I might even try getting the Qutub Minar to disappear next.” He is enthusiastic to help steer Indian magicians in the right direction. “I see a lot of talent in India, though there are some who don’t get it.”

It is important to Harary that when given the opportunity, magicians should rise to the occasion and make the most of it. “It is all about changing the game like Houdini did,” he adds.

“Many unexplainable things have happened to me over my life and I am constantly in search of the real deal,” says Harary, before adding. “Just like the circus has become a big thing, I want magic to be that important too.