Tanvi`s touch of magic

12-year-old Tanvi Thakur is a young magician and performs various tricks for cancer patients, tribal and rural kids.

While most kids get enthralled by magical performances, here is a 12-year-old who spell bounds the children with her performance. Cityplus asks Tanvi Thakur, a Borivali resident, about her unique passion, that makes her different from her peers.

Mumma’s girl
I owe my magical skills to my mother, Kranti Thakur, who passed away four months back. Had it not been for her, I perhaps would have never learnt magic. As a hobby, my mother took training from various magicians she met.  She would also visit the traders who used to sell instruments from which magic was performed. What started as a mere hobby, soon developed into a fine art, which was later, passed on to me. I remember my mother teaching me magic every day in the evenings, and how we used to enjoy performing it together. We used to perform a few tricks before my father, Ashutosh, who would get completely surprised by what we did.

Doing it differently
I was always into various stage shows, from the time I was about a year old, but I entered the magical world at the age of six. Since then, I have been performing in various social events. Currently, I have performed in more than 150 shows, for different institutions. My audience includes cancer patients, physically handicapped and mentally challenged kids and children in the rural areas. But one of my most memorable performances in recent times has been the one at Anandvan, a home for leprosy patients, founded by the great social worker Baba Amte. There were about 800 social workers and patients in the Ashram when I had performed my magic, and it gave me an immense joy to see the inmates of the Ashram completely enchanted.

Standing out
Being a class seven student, I realise that studies are important in my life. But I will not give up my love for magic. My father says that out of so many hundred thousand children in the state, there hardly would be anyone who must be performing magic at my age. To add to it, he feels that it is rather a unique idea to perform it non commercially. So even as other children of my age are pacing ahead to score a good grade, I believe in doing much more, and creating a smile in the lives of those who are less fortunate than us.

Spiritual inspiration
It was my sadguru (spiritual leader), who instilled the idea of doing charity. Under his guidance, my parents took me to various social events, where I learnt that my performances can actually make someone’s day. The people and children before whom I perform are the ones who face tremendous pain and sorrow in their everyday life. They may not be as fortunate as we are to have all of life’s blessings. So my sadguru inculcated in me the value of giving, and it was then that I started performing for various institutions. Now I find a lot of joy in doing this, and perhaps would never think of going commercial in the future.

Future awaits
I hope I get to continue my magical performances in the future too, although I do not think of performing it on commercial basis. I want to spread a joy in the lives of as many people as I can, and create hope and positiveness wherever possible.

--Divya Nair