Unlike what some people believe, I’m a magician by choice and not by inheritance. I’m the ninth generation magician in our family and feel honoured to be part of the legacy. Eldest amongst three sisters, as a child I was fascinated watching my parents, P.C. Sorcar Jr and Jayashree, performing magic on stage. I was about 11 when I made the most crucial decision of my life and told my father that I wanted to become a magician. That was the biggest turning point in my life.

My father never sat me down to teach me any tricks. In our family, we follow one maxim: that an artiste can’t be taught but needs to have in-born qualities to be a successful magician. By 12 I was assisting him on stage and working as his apprentice helped me to learn on the job.

Magic in itself is a very intriguing subject, a unique blend of art, science and technology. You have to create a make-believe world and act as if everything is happening by magic.

Another milestone in my life was accompanying my father and watching him perform worldwide. It taught me a lot. Another eventful moment was performing with my parents in the audience when I was 18. This solo act involved me being handcuffed and locked in a box which was set on fire with dynamite sticks. The trick was to escape from the box unharmed. As per plan the box was set on fire, a huge explosion happened and a fire-tender drove up to the stage to douse the flames. Well, I was driving it. I nailed it and the show was a huge success. I named this act Big Bang.

Getting an MBA degree in 2004 from Ohio University in the US was another important decision. I’m very serious and passionate about my work and also wanted to know how to manage the business part of my career and to make it a commercial success. The MBA degree helped me do that.

I met Susmit Ranjan Halder in the US after one of my shows in 2008 and we married in 2012. This was a turning point on the personal front. I am not sure if he became a fan of magic but he became a fan of the magician.

(As told to Sarbani Sen)