The third edition of Shonibar’er Adda, organised by Calcutta Walks saw Kalkutta Konjurors, a group of magicians and illusionists from the city, enthralling guests on the rowaks of Calcutta Bungalow
All photos by Amit DattaJuly 13 was made more memorable, as audiences listened intently to stories about the city’s most illustrious magicians. ‘This is our effort to revive the declining ‘adda’ culture of the city. It’s the third edition, and we’re delighted to see people coming regularly,’ said Iftekhar Ahsan, founder of Calcutta Walks and Calcutta Bungalow
David Nobo aka Amazing David anchored the adda session with ‘The Great Indian Rope Trick’, where he got three ropes of different lengths to magically change size, get cut, and restore themselves! ‘Magicians and politicians are quite alike, because they direct your attention away from what they are actually doing,’ he chuckled
Sourav Burman performed the classic Gypsy Thread illusion, where a single thread is broken into multiple pieces and magically restored! ‘One of Kolkata’s first magic clubs was formed by P. C. Sorcar, where the city’s magicians would gather in his Ballygunge home every week,’ Sourav said
Abhinav Bothra wowed audiences by predicting a randomly selected book and reading someone’s mind to reveal a random word they had picked from it
Amanjit Singh mesmerised the crowd with mind-bending card tricks that tested the depth of their connection
Mango Moshla Lassi, Chicken and Cheese Baby Fritters, and Mixed-Veg Pakoras kept the audience company as viral creator Amitayoo Pal, aka Nimbus Magician, blended magic with mentalism to reveal a randomly selected celebrity’s name and made it appear in a bowl of water
All eyes were on Avirup Bhattacharya as he bravely swallowed a long sewing thread and pulled it out through his eyes
Ahsan with his son Isa and outgoing US Consul General in Kolkata, Melinda Pavek. ‘I’ve been wanting to come to Calcutta Bungalow for a while, and this was a fantastic opportunity. The ‘adda’ had so many fascinating insights about the city’s past magicians, and how the present generation is building upon their legacy,’ added Pavek, who will be leaving the city in August