Gopinath Muthukad bids adieu to magic shows, rest of life for differently-abled children

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eminent magician Gopinath Muthukad, who played a key role in popularising magic among common people and wooed several youngsters to the art form through his stellar stage and television shows, is bidding adieu to his professional career. He will bring down the curtains on his magic shows, which were part of Malayalees' cultural life for the last four decades, to devout his time entirely for the upliftment of differently-abled children.

The magician told a television channel that he won’t do any more magic shows, accepting remuneration.

''I feel it is more meaningful to live for the differently-abled children than doing professional magic shows. It takes a lot of research and effort to bring a magic show to its fullest. But, I am focusing more on the differently-abled children now. it is difficult to take forward both together,'' he said.

He also shared the dream of setting up an educational institution of global standards to tap the innate potentials of such children.

Under the 'Magic Planet', the world's first of its kind magic museum established by him at Kazhakoottam here, there is a 'different arts centre' to bring the differently abled children to the forefront of the society by giving them a platform to showcase their talents.

There are around 100 children at the Centre, who have been provided training in magic by Muthukad for some years, which has won him wide accolades.

Popularly known as Muthukad among his admirers, the 57-year-old magician used to appear as a motivational speaker of children also in television programmes.

After learning magic at the age of seven, Muthukad, a native of a nondescript village in Malappuram, his first stage performance was at 10. Since then, he has been performing magic in and outside the country.

Besides popularising magic as a performing art, he also tried hard to remove its tag as a secret art connected to witchcraft and to eliminate many superstitious beliefs associated with it.

A recipient of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award, he also won the International Merlin Award instituted by the International Magicians' Society.