A sudden saffron surge in Bengal has taken even the BJP by surprise and inspired Narendra Modi to launch a late offensive against Mamata Banerjee. Our writer meets the BJP’s unlikely star candidate, the magician PC Sorcar (junior), who seems to have become happily enchanted by his new leader.
"Not me, Narendra Modi is the real magician," PC Sorcar (junior) narrows his eyes, almost a cue for me to be intrigued by the apparent disingenuity of the statement.
He has a case. Here is India's most celebrated sorcerer (hence the tweaked surname) who has survived being under a steamroller, turned a baby elephant into a horse, made a passenger-packed train and the Taj Mahal vanish, and won the Merlin Award, the Oscar for magicians. But instead of delivering on his promise of making Parliament disappear to punish wayward MPs, he is contesting the Lok Sabha polls on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. Can't fault Sorcar for looking to justify himself.
But which Modi magic does he have in mind? The one that drew more crowds this Sunday than Mamata Banerjee could ever manage in Asansol? The one that has fuelled an unprecedented surge in popular support for the BJP across the state in the last one month? The one that made Modi’s conciliatory tone at the Kolkata maidan on February 5 morph into a vitriolic attack on Mamata Banerjee in April? Or the one that makes Modi get away with threatening 'Bangladeshis' who do not worship goddess Durga with summary deportment?
"Think about it. If you can't [figure out], I'll explain later," Sorcar laughs heartily before moving on to the next revelation. "Bengal is with the BJP this time. You couldn't have missed the spontaneous response to my morning rally, could you? And they say this is a Trinamool [Congress] stronghold!"
A couple of Trinamool Congress leaders I spoke to agreed that their leader was a little rattled by the sudden swing in favor of the BJP in the state's four-corner fight. Since even the BJP does not claim to be making much of a dent in what remains of the core Left vote, every percentage point rise in the saffron vote share will hurt the prospects of a Trinamool sweep and help the otherwise demoralized Left Front. That probably explains the sudden focus on attacking the BJP and Modi in Mamata's shrill campaign.
A number of BJP leaders admit the party did not anticipate such resonance in Bengal. "Between February and April, we have seen a major shift in the public mood. Besides, it soon became clear that Mamata's dependence on the minority vote was too huge to expect her to deal with us after the polls. By the end of March, it was decided that we should go after her in our campaign," a senior state leader explained. Accordingly, Modi was back in Bengal to tear into Mamata at a rally in Siliguri on April 10. In the free-for-all that has followed, Didi and her men are giving back as good as they get.
Right now, Sorcar is feeling the heat. We are sitting in a modest village brick house in Bhurkunda near Ashoknagar town under Barasat Lok Sabha constituency of south Bengal, from where Sorcar is contesting. It is lunchtime and the sorcerer is melting in sweat from three hours of campaigning on dusty dirt tracks in a convoy of open Tata 407s and three-wheelers. The moment he stepped under the ceiling fan, the power went off.
A young girl hands him a glass of homemade lassi. He wants to engage her in a conversation but she is too shy to speak up before the legend. "Most people I meet while campaigning ask me to perform some magic. I tell them that the election codes don't allow such things. But once I am elected, nobody can stop me from holding free shows for these people," he breaks into another full-throated laugh.
Even when he is not trying to be funny, Sorcar struggles to wipe off a perpetual half-grin that he once cultivated for the stage but has long internalized. A similar affectation makes his eyes roll, squint or pop every time he speaks with dramatic modulations nurtured over time to control his audience. He is an internationally acclaimed master of his craft. But at a distance of less than three feet, in the heat and dust of closely fought elections, that stage persona can appear a tad comical at times.
Over the phone though, he sounds refreshingly matter-of-fact. The previous night, he told me I couldn't travel in his car. Not because he wanted to guard some magical secret. "I'll leave very early [in the morning] and can't talk on the way. Follow me to Ashoknagar where you can join my rally. We may do the interview later," he instructed. I didn't complain. Candidates have punishing routines and even a magician must steal a power nap when he can.
Illusion vs. Magic
He has a case. Here is India's most celebrated sorcerer (hence the tweaked surname) who has survived being under a steamroller, turned a baby elephant into a horse, made a passenger-packed train and the Taj Mahal vanish, and won the Merlin Award, the Oscar for magicians. But instead of delivering on his promise of making Parliament disappear to punish wayward MPs, he is contesting the Lok Sabha polls on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. Can't fault Sorcar for looking to justify himself.
But which Modi magic does he have in mind? The one that drew more crowds this Sunday than Mamata Banerjee could ever manage in Asansol? The one that has fuelled an unprecedented surge in popular support for the BJP across the state in the last one month? The one that made Modi’s conciliatory tone at the Kolkata maidan on February 5 morph into a vitriolic attack on Mamata Banerjee in April? Or the one that makes Modi get away with threatening 'Bangladeshis' who do not worship goddess Durga with summary deportment?
"Think about it. If you can't [figure out], I'll explain later," Sorcar laughs heartily before moving on to the next revelation. "Bengal is with the BJP this time. You couldn't have missed the spontaneous response to my morning rally, could you? And they say this is a Trinamool [Congress] stronghold!"
A couple of Trinamool Congress leaders I spoke to agreed that their leader was a little rattled by the sudden swing in favor of the BJP in the state's four-corner fight. Since even the BJP does not claim to be making much of a dent in what remains of the core Left vote, every percentage point rise in the saffron vote share will hurt the prospects of a Trinamool sweep and help the otherwise demoralized Left Front. That probably explains the sudden focus on attacking the BJP and Modi in Mamata's shrill campaign.
A number of BJP leaders admit the party did not anticipate such resonance in Bengal. "Between February and April, we have seen a major shift in the public mood. Besides, it soon became clear that Mamata's dependence on the minority vote was too huge to expect her to deal with us after the polls. By the end of March, it was decided that we should go after her in our campaign," a senior state leader explained. Accordingly, Modi was back in Bengal to tear into Mamata at a rally in Siliguri on April 10. In the free-for-all that has followed, Didi and her men are giving back as good as they get.
Right now, Sorcar is feeling the heat. We are sitting in a modest village brick house in Bhurkunda near Ashoknagar town under Barasat Lok Sabha constituency of south Bengal, from where Sorcar is contesting. It is lunchtime and the sorcerer is melting in sweat from three hours of campaigning on dusty dirt tracks in a convoy of open Tata 407s and three-wheelers. The moment he stepped under the ceiling fan, the power went off.
A young girl hands him a glass of homemade lassi. He wants to engage her in a conversation but she is too shy to speak up before the legend. "Most people I meet while campaigning ask me to perform some magic. I tell them that the election codes don't allow such things. But once I am elected, nobody can stop me from holding free shows for these people," he breaks into another full-throated laugh.
Even when he is not trying to be funny, Sorcar struggles to wipe off a perpetual half-grin that he once cultivated for the stage but has long internalized. A similar affectation makes his eyes roll, squint or pop every time he speaks with dramatic modulations nurtured over time to control his audience. He is an internationally acclaimed master of his craft. But at a distance of less than three feet, in the heat and dust of closely fought elections, that stage persona can appear a tad comical at times.
Over the phone though, he sounds refreshingly matter-of-fact. The previous night, he told me I couldn't travel in his car. Not because he wanted to guard some magical secret. "I'll leave very early [in the morning] and can't talk on the way. Follow me to Ashoknagar where you can join my rally. We may do the interview later," he instructed. I didn't complain. Candidates have punishing routines and even a magician must steal a power nap when he can.
Illusion vs. Magic
After the morning rally, now surrounded by a few members of his campaign team and many pairs of eyes outside the two windows, Sorcar is all spunk. "This state of ours, West Bengal, should be spelled W-A-S-T-E Bengal! So much potential but everything is in ruins because of the political culture the Left and the Trinamool stand for." He pauses to quote 19th century French poet and politician Alphonse de Lamartine who was "also into magic" and divination: "The more I see of the depressing stature of people, the more I admire my dogs."
Sorcar says he could easily become cynical. Instead, he felt sad and restless. "I have always said that I enact fairy tales on stage with the help of science, storytelling and acting. Nothing there is real and I play a role. But people remain glued to their seats. They want to believe in magic to escape forever the reality outside the auditorium. How often I wished I could make that happen for them."
Then, Sorcar recounts what was apparently a life-changing episode. "One of my neighbors – he recently passed away – had lost his son three years ago. People were crying when I entered the house to console the family. Suddenly, everyone fell silent," he quickly pets the curls of his petit handlebar. "Someone said that PC Sorcar would do some magic. The bereaved dad got very angry when I said I obviously could not do a thing. He told me I could have all the money I wanted if I revived his son. Later, he apologized, saying he momentarily lost his mind."
Since that day, Sorcar says, he remained constantly aware that his magic had no powers to take away real pain. "All around me, I see so many people in so much misery. Can I call myself successful if I can't change their life?" he sighs. The breather allows me to interrupt and ask if that is why he admires Modi's so-called game-changing abilities. Sorcar's eyes light up.
"On stage, I create a perfect illusion that makes people happy for a while. What Modi does is to change reality for the better, which benefits millions. That is truly magical. But that is only one aspect of him. The first time I heard Modi in person at Kolkata maidan [on February 5], I realized what a warm and sincere person he is. In comparison, other leaders appear synthetic, heartless, like plastic flowers made in China. That was also the first time I witnessed his immense mass appeal," Sorcar gushes like a fanboy.
Did that spectacle tempt him to ride the wave and fight this election? Sorcar flicks an imaginary fly or two in the air and chortles. "Not at all. Not like that. I'll get there. But do you know what is Modi's bigger magic?" He leans forward to confide that he discovered this secret only while reaching out to people during campaigning in his largely rural constituency.
"You ask them in these towns and villages. Very few know anything about Modi. Most only know the name and they still want to vote for him," Sorcar throws his head back, his face contorting in incredulity and admiration. "That is the real Modi magic!"
Born BJP
Coming from India's first family of magic, where his father PC Sorcar (senior) was big in the international circuit in the 1950s and 1960s, it was not easy for Sorcar junior to hit the road wooing voters. Not that he needs to try too hard to draw people out of their homes even under a blazing sun. Even the rural folks are curious to see the celebrity magician in the flesh as he waves from his open tempo that grinds along narrow, bumpy village lanes. A live band in the pilot vehicle and party workers in another six trailing his Tata 407 add to the star appeal. Both the party and the candidate, confirms a local functionary, are spending generously on the campaign.
Yet, for Sorcar, it is a big leap out of his comfort zone. He was born into money and went on to become one of India's highest individual foreign exchange earners (a media claim he neither confirms nor refutes). "I am not here to gain anything. I knew Indira Gandhi well. And Jyoti Basu. I have been on good terms with both Buddhadeb (Bhattacharjee) and Mamata. I had several offers to join politics," he claims.
But the BJP, he says, treated him as an equal. Also, Sorcar apparently had a dream before he made up his mind to accept a BJP ticket towards the end of February. "It was Swami Vivekananda, the man behind everything I stand for. He told me that I did not need to join the BJP because I was always one with the BJP." He pauses to assess my reaction. "I was born a Bharatiya, one who belongs to this magical land and its way of life. It is not about any religion but our culture that has withstood so many onslaughts from external forces. Alexander, the Muslims, the communists. But it survives and the BJP values it."
Does that cultural legacy include frequent RSS diktats, for example, against homosexuality? What is his opinion on Article 377? Sorcar backtracks immediately. "I am new to politics. I will need some time before answering these questions like a politician. I need to look into these issues." Tactical or true, such naivety in the party isn’t his alone. In fact, a state BJP functionary accepts that the presence of too many ‘non-political’ candidates is an issue with a section of voters.
On April 27, Modi's chopper was late by an hour for a rally at Srirampur. Local candidate and singer Bappi Lahiri was scheduled to address the crowd before Modi, and the state leadership requested him to continue his speech till the star campaigner arrived. "Bappi-da usually speaks for a few minutes only and was suddenly all at sea. Since he did not know what to talk about, we asked him to just croon a few of his songs till Modi landed," says a party insider. The same routine followed in Asansol this Sunday when party candidate Babul Supriyo preferred to sing rather than risk making an extended speech to fill in for Modi's delay.
Sorcar, of course, belongs to the stage and is a consummate public speaker, perhaps even a little overenthusiastic. Party insiders blame his political inexperience for a couple of tasteless comments that landed Sorcar in trouble. Referring to Mamata's rather callous statement on frequent rape cases that boys will be boys and act naughty, Sorcar asked a crowd if the CM would feel the same if she fell victim to such a crime herself. In the same breath, he also blasted his Trinamool opponent Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar for parroting Mamata's lines. "She is a gynecologist. She doesn’t understand anything about men. I am a psychologist. I hold a doctorate degree. I cure insane people. If she is insane, bring her to me, I will cure her," he bragged.
An FIR was lodged against him and Sorcar secured anticipatory bail. "I won't say anything as it is sub judice. It's not in my nature to get personal and I did not. But the plight of a rape victim's father angers me. The Trinamool's insensitive policies, deeds and words anger me. I voice the anguish of the people," he picks his words carefully.
Late Modification
Given that Sorcar himself was chastized by the Election Commission, does he support Modi's hardline stand on deportation? "Every bit of it. And what is hardline about it? A section of the media, the pet media, is distorting his words and creating confusion," Sorcar goes on to claim that the BJP is not anti-Muslim and that he has minority support in his constituency. Then he drops MJ Akbar's name.
"Muslims are not fools and will not be misled. They know it is in their interest to back the BJP. Please understand the difference between an infiltrator and a refugee. Why should a refugee worry? I am a refugee myself," he argues. Indeed, the Sorcars trace their roots to Tangail in Bangladesh and on his website the magician identifies himself as one "from the famous Sorcar family of Hindu-Magicians.”
Reviving the Indian art of magic is on Sorcar's political agenda. "Indrajal (illusion) is the 20th of the 64 Kalas (performing arts) mentioned in our scriptures. Illusion is also called Maya. Goddess Durga herself is known as Maha-maya. This great tradition was outlawed during Islamic rule because the Muslims considered magic a dark art. We must revive our great tradition," he stresses. Fittingly, Modi has already declared that those who did not worship Sorcar's Maha-maya (Goddess Durga) would be sent back to Bangladesh.
Sorcar says that Modi is right to question the dubious claims on the proceedings from the sale of Mamata's paintings,her party's involvement in the TET and Saradha scam, and the Trinamool government's policies of minority appeasement. "These are political issues and must be raised by every political opposition. Why is nobody questioning the crude, obscene language Mamata uses for Modi? All these tui-tokari, Haridas Pal barbs and komore dori bendhe jail-e neoya (referring derogatorily to Modi in the second person, calling him a nonentity, threatening to drag him to jail with a rope around his waist)?" he asks. "If the quality of political dialogue is declining, everybody in Bengal knows who is responsible."
What upsets Sorcar most is that "our critics are finding fault even with Modi's Bengali" when he says a few sentences in the local language, like he typically does in most states, at the beginning of his speeches. "The fact that Modi takes the trouble to learn a few lines in Bangla only shows his love for us, the Bengalis," insists Sorcar. "Do you look for spelling mistakes in a love letter?"
Great Dictators
Yet, for Sorcar, it is a big leap out of his comfort zone. He was born into money and went on to become one of India's highest individual foreign exchange earners (a media claim he neither confirms nor refutes). "I am not here to gain anything. I knew Indira Gandhi well. And Jyoti Basu. I have been on good terms with both Buddhadeb (Bhattacharjee) and Mamata. I had several offers to join politics," he claims.
But the BJP, he says, treated him as an equal. Also, Sorcar apparently had a dream before he made up his mind to accept a BJP ticket towards the end of February. "It was Swami Vivekananda, the man behind everything I stand for. He told me that I did not need to join the BJP because I was always one with the BJP." He pauses to assess my reaction. "I was born a Bharatiya, one who belongs to this magical land and its way of life. It is not about any religion but our culture that has withstood so many onslaughts from external forces. Alexander, the Muslims, the communists. But it survives and the BJP values it."
Does that cultural legacy include frequent RSS diktats, for example, against homosexuality? What is his opinion on Article 377? Sorcar backtracks immediately. "I am new to politics. I will need some time before answering these questions like a politician. I need to look into these issues." Tactical or true, such naivety in the party isn’t his alone. In fact, a state BJP functionary accepts that the presence of too many ‘non-political’ candidates is an issue with a section of voters.
On April 27, Modi's chopper was late by an hour for a rally at Srirampur. Local candidate and singer Bappi Lahiri was scheduled to address the crowd before Modi, and the state leadership requested him to continue his speech till the star campaigner arrived. "Bappi-da usually speaks for a few minutes only and was suddenly all at sea. Since he did not know what to talk about, we asked him to just croon a few of his songs till Modi landed," says a party insider. The same routine followed in Asansol this Sunday when party candidate Babul Supriyo preferred to sing rather than risk making an extended speech to fill in for Modi's delay.
Sorcar, of course, belongs to the stage and is a consummate public speaker, perhaps even a little overenthusiastic. Party insiders blame his political inexperience for a couple of tasteless comments that landed Sorcar in trouble. Referring to Mamata's rather callous statement on frequent rape cases that boys will be boys and act naughty, Sorcar asked a crowd if the CM would feel the same if she fell victim to such a crime herself. In the same breath, he also blasted his Trinamool opponent Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar for parroting Mamata's lines. "She is a gynecologist. She doesn’t understand anything about men. I am a psychologist. I hold a doctorate degree. I cure insane people. If she is insane, bring her to me, I will cure her," he bragged.
An FIR was lodged against him and Sorcar secured anticipatory bail. "I won't say anything as it is sub judice. It's not in my nature to get personal and I did not. But the plight of a rape victim's father angers me. The Trinamool's insensitive policies, deeds and words anger me. I voice the anguish of the people," he picks his words carefully.
Late Modification
Given that Sorcar himself was chastized by the Election Commission, does he support Modi's hardline stand on deportation? "Every bit of it. And what is hardline about it? A section of the media, the pet media, is distorting his words and creating confusion," Sorcar goes on to claim that the BJP is not anti-Muslim and that he has minority support in his constituency. Then he drops MJ Akbar's name."Muslims are not fools and will not be misled. They know it is in their interest to back the BJP. Please understand the difference between an infiltrator and a refugee. Why should a refugee worry? I am a refugee myself," he argues. Indeed, the Sorcars trace their roots to Tangail in Bangladesh and on his website the magician identifies himself as one "from the famous Sorcar family of Hindu-Magicians.”
Reviving the Indian art of magic is on Sorcar's political agenda. "Indrajal (illusion) is the 20th of the 64 Kalas (performing arts) mentioned in our scriptures. Illusion is also called Maya. Goddess Durga herself is known as Maha-maya. This great tradition was outlawed during Islamic rule because the Muslims considered magic a dark art. We must revive our great tradition," he stresses. Fittingly, Modi has already declared that those who did not worship Sorcar's Maha-maya (Goddess Durga) would be sent back to Bangladesh.
Sorcar says that Modi is right to question the dubious claims on the proceedings from the sale of Mamata's paintings,her party's involvement in the TET and Saradha scam, and the Trinamool government's policies of minority appeasement. "These are political issues and must be raised by every political opposition. Why is nobody questioning the crude, obscene language Mamata uses for Modi? All these tui-tokari, Haridas Pal barbs and komore dori bendhe jail-e neoya (referring derogatorily to Modi in the second person, calling him a nonentity, threatening to drag him to jail with a rope around his waist)?" he asks. "If the quality of political dialogue is declining, everybody in Bengal knows who is responsible."
What upsets Sorcar most is that "our critics are finding fault even with Modi's Bengali" when he says a few sentences in the local language, like he typically does in most states, at the beginning of his speeches. "The fact that Modi takes the trouble to learn a few lines in Bangla only shows his love for us, the Bengalis," insists Sorcar. "Do you look for spelling mistakes in a love letter?"
Great Dictators
Beyond Modi, what does Sorcar sell to the voter? "I talk about development, opportunities, employment," parrots the candidate. Any specifics? Does he have a solution for Bengal's agriculture-versus-industry deadlock? "I am talking heart to heart now. I'll need some time before I address their stomach," he flashes his naivety card again.
Will Sorcar continue in politics if he loses? "I am one hundred percent certain of victory," he refuses to consider any other possibility. Will the magician suffer if the MP takes up all the time? Sorcar smiles. "The show will go on. PC Sorcar is the magician and Prodip Chandra Sorcar is the politician. They usually meet at night."
But isn't the politician feeding off the magician? All over the constituency, Sorcar's campaign uses posters showing him in the magician's garb. "Am I wearing a magician's dress now? They used that photo on posters because people were asking if their candidate was the same PC Sorcar, the magician they love," he explains. "Due to the fanfare, I admit I had to wear the magician's attire while filing nomination and even the officer asked for an autograph."
Will Sorcar the MP be able to work true magic like his idol, and make a difference to people's lives? "I certainly hope so," the grin broadens on his face. "Otherwise, I will make Parliament disappear and become the great dictator!" he now guffaws.
Like Modi? A moment's silence before Sorcar relapses into laughter. "Like [Charlie] Chaplin."
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