Suhani Shah has made her mark in the world quite magically. A mentalist, Youtuber, and stand up comedian are just some of the many titles she handles with ease. With an experience of two decades and over 5000 shows under her belt, Suhani Shah is one of the most successful magicians India has seen in some time. Her magical skills combined with her knowledge of psychology make her a force to reckon with. ELLE India spoke with the mentalist and uncovered what makes her the master magician she is.
ELLE: What got you interested in your profession and how did it all begin?
Suhani Shah (SS): I was six years old. On a Sunday morning, I watched a magic programme on TV where the magician borrowed something from the audience. And made it disappear. It then appeared out of an apple. The six-year-old me was so mind-blown that after that I didn’t just want to watch more magic. I wanted to be that magician who does these things. So I walked up to my father and told him I wanted to be a magician. My parents surprisingly agreed. They’re very encouraging. After my parents were convinced, the major struggle happened to find people who could teach me magic.
I met this group of people, they were people who would assist magicians in their shows. So the man of the family was the main light and sound technician. The lady was the lead assistant. The other girl used to be the second assistant. Their nephew was the main set designer. So there was a family. They taught me magic. It took us 11 months of absolute rehearsals. I did not know how to read and write. So everything had to be spoken to me repeatedly. So even if there are a lot of dialogues I used to say. It was a 3-hour show. Single-handed. It was just me. Then I learned my steps and this huge set. And cut somebody in half and burn somebody. And bring them back. So all those things kept happening in the shows.
On 22nd October 1997, I performed my first stage show. As a mentalist. As a magician. As the illusionist. That show had elements of everything. And we had the then Chief Minister of Gujarat in attendance. So it was a kickstart. The media and people supported me. And then there was no looking back.
I have been performing magic for last 26 years. Out of which I have been a full fledged illusionist till the first 18 years. And then I slowly changed into being a mentalist.
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ELLE: So what drew you towards mentalism?
SS: I have been entertaining is the idea of turning into a mentalist for quite some time. But I did not. Because I liked what I was doing. I used to get very interesting experiences from people. Like when I was 8 years old, somebody would walk up to me and after my show tell me, “Can you, we have this problem can you cure us by magic? I am in Kanpur. There is a robbery in town.”
I was always interested in psychology. I wrote books on psychology and human behaviour and they turned out to be bestsellers. I wrote another book when I was 16. That’s after I learnt a little bit of language. At one point, I felt like I was spreading myself too thing. It’s not sustainable that way. You have to focus on one thing.
The transition to a mentalist wasn’t easy. It took me a year and a half because it’s like changing from a Bharatnatyam dancer to a Salsa dancer. When I came on a mentalism stage, I felt pretty naked honestly because there’s no lights, there’s no drama – just me and the mic. I have to be here relying only on my confidence and experience, so the transition took time.
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ELLE: Did you have any moments in your initial days of mentalism where you probably did go wrong? How did you deal with that then?
SS: You know, it’s not just the initial days, we still go wrong. Mentalism, like many other performing arts, is a live performance, and it’s not even rehearsed. Any person from the audience can come on stage, and I would have to perform with this person. There’s no predictability what they might say, what is going to happen. I only make sure I make newer mistakes but the difference is now when I make a mistake on stage, or if something goes wrong the audience is unaware that things didn’t go according to plan.
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ELLE: What do you actually tell people when they ask you about your profession especially people who don’t know what it is? How do you explain it to them?
SS: I say I am a magician. They understand what a magician is.
ELLE: Describe the job of a mentalist.
SS: Every mentalist is a magician. But not every magician is a mentalist. I am definitely a mentalist. But if someone doesn’t understand the term, I don’t mind saying I am a magician. It’s the same thing. I am here to change your perspective around magic, and if you think that magic is still about getting a bunny out of a hat, I don’t have a problem doing that either.
ELLE: How long does it take to train to become a mentalist?
SS: It’s like any other art form. The more you do it, the better you get at it. I become better with every performance. I am able to deal with people, understand them faster, read them quicker – so it’s an art form.
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ELLE: When did you start your YouTube channel?How did your videos start going viral.
SS: I started my Youtube channel long ago at least 15 years ago. My first viral video was few years ago because I didn’t start the channel to become a content creator. I started the channel for profiling, so I could put my videos there and send those links to corporate clients.
ELLE: How has the platform actually helped you in your success?
SS: It has been a game changer. I became active on Youtube only during pandemic. Before that, I had to go to a city to display my art to certain sector of that audience of that city. YouTube gave me the channel and the distribution and awareness, empowering me to reach a larger audience.
What YouTube does is makes that little kid who is extremely talented in Chattarpur district in Madhya Pradesh powerful. It gives them a voice, a distribution channel, a base so big that one day, the biggest of brands would want to come to that kid in that house and tell him, “Will you sell my brand?” To me, it’s incredible and that is what art should be and that is how much art should be respected.
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ELLE: In most of your acts I’ve seen so far, you’ve guessed things right and people get shocked or a little creeped out. How do you actually deal with their reactions?
SS: I don’t think I deal with them at all. I just enjoy it. My task is only till I reveal and if you notice in the videos once the revelation is done, once I’ve read the mind, I just leave it because then it’s their moment to absorb what’s happened and like think of the impossibility of it. All I want as a magician or as an artist is to be thought about after my performance is done.
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ELLE: You clearly enjoy your profession so much. There might be days which are really intense for you so, how do you unwind or how do you get your own down time?
SS: I’m 33 now and I realise I have to find out a mechanism y. In my 20s, I was functioning just fine with all that chaos, busyness and the stress. I think I created a lifestyle that’s very supportive of an artist’s life. We have lot of insecurities- we all have the imposter syndrome. So I recognised it and I was like ‘I don’t want to be that artist.’ One very important thing that I have is a very good set of friends and that has genuinely kept me going.
Second is, I like to be physically very fit, I workout almost every other day. I swim. I’m also a certified diver so if I have to take a longer break from the world, I’ll just go diving Just prioritising the basics such as having your meals, sleeping 7-8 hours is a game changer in your lifestyle.
