On 15th August 2000, I performed my first magic show in front of a huge crowd which included disabled people too. This date will forever be etched in my memory as I found my identity and freedom just like millions of Indians on this day. The adrenaline rush in my body gave me the confidence to take up art as niche as magic as my profession.
I was born hearing and speech impaired just like my elder brother. He passed away a few days after my birth due to some complications. After this incident, my parents were extra cautious in my upbringing.
They enrolled me in a school for deaf children but unfortunately, the teachers weren’t competent enough. They barely used sign language. However, I learnt sign language with my mother’s help and completed my B.Com through distance education.
The bigger challenge was now. I had to select a profession which would allow me to work in an accessible and inclusive environment. I took up different jobs but nothing worked out for me. The use of sign language was very rare in the early 2000s.
A chance encounter with the late Gokhale Guruji, a renowned magician made me consider this profession. However, a magic show by a woman in Nagpur, my hometown, made me enter this profession. There were barely any female magicians, so I decided to try my luck.
Over the years I have performed over a hundred shows at various festivals and events across India and the world. I have been to the US and Europe. I have also won prizes and awards. I secured the second position at World’s Dumb and Deaf Magic Festival in Chicago in 2014.
My journey has not been easy. I have been mocked and ridiculed, not just because of my disability but also my gender. Magic is a male-dominated profession where I have made my place and many people cannot digest this fact. To change this, I want to teach magic to women with hearing impairment and make them financially independent.
Today, besides being a magician I am also a wife, mother, dancer, actor and magician.
If you, too, have an inspiring story to tell the world, send us your story at mystory@thelogicalindian.com
