Note: Below are excerpts from news media reviews of the renowned IND-DRA-JAL
magic show of The Great Sorcar at various countries.

Click Here for Selected International Articles from
Historians, Authors and Magicians on the Great P.C. Sorcar

NEWS MEDIA ON THE GREAT P.C. SORCAR

....."SORCAR plays the role of the handsome youngman who found the lamp that contained the Genii. He has but to wish and it happens. To the audience SORCAR has caused these miracles in some mysterious way, not by his own hands, but some strange forces that he perhaps calls on."...Harris Solomon, International President, IBM (USA) in The Linking Ring, p.23, June, 1960.

....."SORCAR is a dedicated man - Magic is his life, his avocation, and his profession. He has achieved much for a man of his years, and he has some amazing box-office records to his credit.".....John Braun, International President of IBM (1946-47) in The Linking Ring, p.80, January, 1961.

....."I have had the privilege of attending the performances of nearly all the leading magicians of this century and of all nationalities. It is my belief that in the entire world SORCAR is one of the really great magicians. I must stress that his delightfully friendly personality and his skilfull presentation stand even out above the extremely clever magic which he performs. It is not enough that a magician mystifies his audience, he must also entertain and delight them as he does so well. It gives me great pleasure to recall that in his performance there is no detail so small as to be unimportant to him. His attention to details adds immesurably to the performance as a whole. Such an attitude as his in this regard is the mark od a genuine artist.....SORCAR is a great magician who has been a leader in fostering international understanding. Sorcar has had a vast experience in entertaining people in great many countries of our globe. His performances always have been artistically and financially sucessful. He is a man of agreeable personality, possessed of a keen and trained mind, and having the capacity for an inordinate amount of work, he has the none too common attribute of never being satisfied with today's efforts, excellent though it be, and has the consistent determination that 'tomorrow' will find him doing even better. Through the years I have watched with admiration the many subtle changes Sorcar has made in everything he does as he strives for pefection. That constant effort always to do better and to go higher is the sign of a true artist."....... John Mulholland, Magician, New York, May, 1960.

....."Congratulations to SORCAR, the World's Greatest Magician....Yes, I've seen them all, and SORCAR IS the World's Greatest Magician".....Thos. A. Dethlefsen, Golden Gate Magic Company, California, USA, August 2, 1958.

....."Having had the great pleasure of watching SORCAR's performance...I can support with confidence the statement that SORCAR is definitely one of the World's Greatest Magicians"......Ace Gorham, Past National President, Society of American Magicians, August 1958.

EXCERPTS FROM UNITED KINGDOM (UK) NEWS MEDIA:

......"The arrival in London of SORCAR, the Indian Illusionist, caused a stir reminiscent of the Maskelyne tradition...Sorcar may revive the departed glory of the Maskelyne age in British entertainment...".......L. Marsland Gander, Illustrated Weekly of India, April 29, 1956.

......"The cleverest illusionist London has seem." Empire News & Sunday Chronicle, London, April 15, 1956.

......"Wealth of entertainment, thrills, excitement, and fascinating mystery. This swiftly moving show has the hallmark of a star magician who must be classed among the World's Best. Originality is the keynote of many of the demonstrations....SORCAR is the magician 'Par Excellence'......Southport Gurdian, England, March 21, 1956.

......"Anyone who fears he has lost his capacity for wonder in the suicidal suburbia to which the world seems to have been reduced by supersonic speed and office efficiency should go to see the brilliant show at Sunderland Empire this week. It is fast and efficient, but it is also ancient and magical. SORCAR does wonders (I don't call them mere tricks) with birds, cards, boxes, fishes, jugs, glasses, and other exotic impedimenta. Thee are wonders, truly; but the real joy of the evening lies in the fact that, far from being a succession of tricks, it is pageant of colour and music and movement. And the combining blinding magic is in the personality of SORCAR, supplemented by the charming talents of his apprentice sorcerers of magic and music...".....The Sunderland Echo, Sunderland, England, March 13, 1956.

"SORCAR, made people squirm by cutting a woman in half on TV. That was a trick. But another scene in the show made women faint, and left London audiences bewildered by its gruesomeness, and it is genuine."

"How is it done?" is the vital question. The rabbits-out-of-a-hat kind of magic, obviosly, is all done with mirrors and phosphorus and double-bottoned boxes.

"But one of SORCAR's stunts at the Duke of York's disturbs spectators because it seems to need a different sort of explanation altogether.

'Please do not confuse this with the rest of the show,' Sorcar said the night these photographs were taken, 'that was Western; this is Eastern. That was mechanical; this is psychologial'..." writes Katharine Whitehorn in Picture Post, London, 28 April 1956.

"Whether you like it or not, SORCAR hits the front pages in a big way, and one feels some sympathy for poor Norman Rashleigh, who does the press cutting notes for The Budget, because I suppose he must have been inundated, as we were, with clipings from nearly all the leading London dailies and evening papers following on the "sawing thru" in B.B.C. TV's "PANORAMA" last week - a wonderful boost for Sorcar's opening at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, where he remains at the time of writing.....All the reports were similar - one or two critics seemed a bit doubtful whether such a spine-chilling effect was suitable for television, but all recorded the terrific audience-response and several remembered to compliment Sorcar on his X-Ray Eye effect which preceded the sawing...The odd thing about Sorcar is that we have yet to see a 'bad write-up' in the lay press in this country, and one has to be a pretty good magician, you know, to make a favourable impact on EVERYONE" - Editorial by Goodliffe in Abracadabra, No. 534, p. 209, 21 April 1956

"Tommy Coper, TV and stage magician had his finger-tips on the main artery of the throat, one doctor checked the heart, another held the right wrist, while I took hold of the left.'... editor, Psychic News, London, 28 April 1956.

"...The show is a newspaperman's nightmare. It defies adequate description. For over two hours we are bemused by an unending series of apparent miracles, the atmosphere heightened by the jingling candles of oriental music and colourful flashing of Indian costumes. There seems to be no logical way to explain what the bland and smiling Mr. Sorcar himself accomplishes....Sorcar is one of the finest exponents of his art in the world today...", Gloucestershire Echo, Cheltenham, England, 28 February, 1956.

"...I have known Sorcar for nearly a quarter of century and after watching his rise to the present enviable position from the early days, I cannot help but express my admiration for him.", Eddie Joseph, Dean of Magic, London, 16 July, 1958.

" 'Seeing is believing' is a fine honoured phase. But it seems practically impossible to belive your own eyes after you have witnessed some of the fantastic and incredible illusions presented by Sorcar. Undoubtedly, Sorcar leaves his audience spellbound with his sorcery (or should it be Sorcary?). It's all as baffling as being left in the middle of Hampton Court Maze and told to find your own way out. One does not normally associate expert showmanship and spectaclm with the realm of magic. Yet Sorcar is not content with presenting his mysteries in a half-hearted manner. He has his own band, an array of glamorous and manly assistants, and appropriate lighting. Sorcar measures the taste of the public with, the nicety of virtuoso. His magnificient illusions are breath-taking from the standpoint of mystery as well as eye-appeal..." Cambridge Daily News, Cambridge, England, 14 February, 1956.

EXCERPTS FROM AUSTRALIAN NEWS MEDIA

"The thing that couldn't occur is the very thing that SORCAR set before our astonished eyes throughout the whole evening", Daily Telegraph, Brisbane, (Australia) 24 December, 1957.

"... SORCAR delivers his affable patter in a strong Indian accent, and peppers his sentences with Americanisms"... The West Australian, Perth, 25 July, 1957.

EXCERPTS FROM NEW ZEALAND NEWS MEDIA

"...Illusion, delusion, clusion, or just plain Magic? Nobody had time to sort out when SORCAR chattered his way rapidly fron one act to another during his premier at the Theatre Royal. His showmanship impinged itself upon the audience and bewildered it from start to finish" ... The Christchurch Star-Sun, New Zealand 25 October, 1957.

"... SORCAR is an assured, suave, and agreeable performer. He has shown very convincingly that stage magic, whether it be spectacular, entertaining or just puzzling, can still command the lime-light in competition with other forms of public amusement..." New Zealand Herald (Auckland) 19 November, 1957.

"Those present at the Rotary Club meeting were more than facinated by the man and amazed at the wide geographical knowledge SORCAR has attained from his many travels. And although he apologised at the commencement of his address for his English, Sorcar in fact displayed more than average knowledge of the English vocabulary"... The Manawatu Evening Standard, 12 November, 1957 New Zealand.

"Certainly IND-DRA-JAL is the most colourful, the most captivating and the most striking masterpiece of work that I have witnessed. Off stage SORCAR is a gentleman, quiet-spoken, friendly and ever willing to help the rawest of amateurs with advice and encouragement"... (1958) Bernerd Reid (Diabolo) the Magician, Secy. New Zealand Society of Magicians.

"SORCAR is genial, charming, and most enthusiastic... He tells you what he is going to do; it is unbelievable; then he does it. And not the least of the attractions in the show are the beautiful costumes of the women and men who help him. Sumptuous, too, are the backdrops of oriental elaboration and colour.

"With the first appearance of SORCAR under two huge silver ram's horns sounding a soft and rather mysterious note, and with incense drifting up from big brass bowls, the show gathers a flavour that is exciting and distinctive.

"SORCAR reminds one that the gorgeous East still holds mysteries and strange powers that elude the Western mind and imagination..." The Press Christchurch, New Zealand, 25 October 1957.

.."The success of the IND-DRA-JAL show in Australasia depended upon the lavish and magnificent scenery the beautiful and colourful costuming and above all on the personality of SORCAR. His personality far outshines that of many stage-names and his revue will go down as one of THE SHOWS of the Century.

All effects are nearly routined and blended to give maximum entertainment and the whole presentation appeals equally to the eye and brain.

I personally viewed the performance seven times and each time noticed something that I had missed on the previous occasions, thus proving that there were far more in SORCAR's show than can be seen in one sitting. The timing is perfect and the assistants trained to the mark. Since SORCAR puts his heart and soul into each performance, he gives the spectators that little extra polish and individuality that are lacking in the majority of similar modern revues." ....Bernard Reid, Secy. New Zealand Society of Magicians.

..."SORCAR came to our county (Australia-New Zealand) on a Theatrical tour but, in addition, he proved to be a splendid ambassador of his own country, and in my opinion, his visit to us helped the relations between our two countries very materially"... Sir Frank Tait Kt. Managing Director, J.C. Williamson Theatres Ltd. 18 July 1958.

..."P.C. SORCAR is undoubtedly the Greatest Magician in the World today. We have seen several here in New Zealand but they are not in the same class as P.C. SORCAR"... 16 September 1958 Sir Ernest Davis, KT. ex-Mayor, Auckland, World-famous Race-Horse Owner & Trainer.

..." This is one of the most colorful shows to have come to Wellington in a long time and it must be one of the best rehearsed"... The Eveving Post, Wellington, 19 September 1957.

WELLINGTON: Grand Opera House Sept. 18 to Oct. 5, 1957.

The Diminion:- 'The World's Greatest Magician SORCAR certainly went a good waay toward substantiating that claim, even when one remembers the exploits in stage magic by Chung Ling Soo, Carter, and Dante the Great"... (19 Sept.'57).

INVERCARGILL: Civic Theatre Oct. 7 to Oct. 10, 1957.

Southland Times:- "SORCAR is a magician of exceptional skill"...(8 Oct.'57)

DUNEDIN: His Majesty's Theatre Oct. 11 to Oct.22, 1957.

The Evening Star:- "The whole show ran as smoothly as well-tuned engine"...(12 Oct.'57).

CHRISTCHURCH: Theatre Royal Oct. 24 to Nov. 6, 1957.

Christchurch Star Sun:- "SORCAR's showmanship impinged itself upon the audience and bewildered it from start to finish"...(25 Oct,'57).

PALMERSTON NORTH:Opera House Nov. 8 to Nov. 13, 1957.

Manawatu Evening Standard:-'With a pleasing personality SORCAR has an instant appeal to the audience"...(9 Nov. '57).

NEW PLYMOUTH: Opera House Nov. 15 to Nov.16, 1957.

Taranaki Daily News:- "SORCAR was announced The World's Greatest Magician. He went a long way to prove this"...(16 Nov.'57).

AUCKLAND: His Majesty's Theatre Nov. 18 to Dec. 7, 1957.

HAMILTON: Embassy Theatre Dec. 9 to Dec. 11, 1957.

Waikato Times:-'SORCAR showed that his reputation as one of the World's Greatest Magicians is well deserved"...(10 Dec.'57).

EXCERPTS FROM FRENCH NEWS MEDIA:

"...The Hindu SORCAR'S display of magic, mysteries and illusion of the Etoile, "Magie des Indes" is an attractive and fascinating show, beautifully costumed and filled with the exotic dazzle and din of the East."... New York Herald Tribune, Paris Edition, 1 December, 1955.

EXCERPTS FROM AFRICAN NEWS MEDIA

"Seeing is beleiving. And the old adage was more than amply proved when Sorcar held an audience of many hundreds awe-struck with a brilliant performence.... Sorcar's magic has to be seen to be appreciated. He achieves the impossible all the time and one leaves the hall at the end of it wondering whether it was all a dream or a reality"... Daily Chronicle, Nairobi (Africa) 24 February 1956.

"As a magician of repute SORCAR needs no introduction. His name has become synonymous for Magic throughout the world"... The Kenya Daily Mail, (East Africa) 21 May 1959.

"To all the members of the Public we will recommend SORCAR's Show as a 'MUST'... Colonian Times, Nairobi, 26 February 1959.

"SORCAR is an expert in his art and is considered to be the greatest magician in the world. He proved this during his shows in Nairobi"... Picha, Nairobi, Kenya, 1 March 1959.

EXCERPTS FROM SINGAPORE NEWS MEDIA

"I left the Capital Theatre performance of SORCAR, strangely reminded of H.G. Well's invisible man by the magician's disappearing etc. Then what secrets could be held from a man who can read anything though his eyes are sealed with dough and a couple of masks"... The Singapore Free Press, 21 December 1953

EXCERPTS FROM SOVIET UNION NEWS MEDIA

"The Soviet tour of Indian Illusionist Sorcar was a great Success. He was acclaimed by Moscovites as the World's Greatest Magician"... writes Russia's LIFE magazine SOVIETSKEE SOUZ (SOVIET UNION), No. 152: 1962 page 56.

"Tuesday, August 28, 1962, SORCAR with his part flew to Moscow. It was a Russian 'Aeroflot' jet plane that carried the troupe under a Cultural Exchange Programme between the Governments of India and the USSR in exchange of the famous Bolshoi Ballet. Representatives from the Cultural Ministry of both the Governments were present at Palam Airport, New Delhi, to see them off.

USSR PROFERRED THE OFFER "On arrival, the 'Ind-Dra-Jal' team was warmly greeted at Moscow Airport by Mr. I.E. Komarov representing the 'Goskonsert' of the Soviet Government and Sri N.P.Jain of the Indian Embassy in Moscow, setting the pace for the next very busy forty days in the Soviet land".

SORCAR was busily occupied with the Press Conferences, special newspaper interviews, Photo calls, interviews from Tass & other news agencies. In Radio Mosco Sorcar was interviewed by Mr. David Belikov and Mr.Vitaly Nehaiev; again he was intervied from Radio Moscow by Victor Samarin from their English Programme and by Sj. Biswajit Roy and Sj. Subhamoy Ghosh for their Bengali Programme. In Leningrad Radio Sorcar was interviewed by Mrs. Vaganov Ludmila and Sorcar's Indian Orchestra was relayed over the Radio net-work. Sorcar featured in their Television Pragramme and news reel shorts were taken of his significantly memorable visit to the USSR.