West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has called for promoting the craft of street magicians performing in the city for decades, saying he appreciated their commitment.
After watching a 50-minute documentary on the subject at the National Library on Saturday night, Tripathi called on the stage around 12 magicians, who had been performing on the city streets since the 80s.
"Magic as an art form should thrive", the Governor said lauding the practitioners' 'commitment'.
The documentary "Fading Magic", the story of Kolkata's magicians, portrays the long lost glory of the magicians hailing from Kolkata and also talks about the depleting interest of the people.
The director of the documentary, Amit Sahai, said the change in audience taste and preferences with the emergence of Youtube and reality shows prompted the younger generation to opt for new games of magic.
He said he had sought to capture this transition.
One such conjurer, popularly known as Magician Charlie, who performed at different street functions and family events in the city till he died of financial constraints in the early 2000, is featured in the documentary.
"From magicians in the districts like Nadia and Howrah to those hailing from the city, from veterans to the young - both equally committed to their craft - the docu seeks to chronicle the contribution of show performers who may not be famous but have relinquished their professions out of love for magic," Sahai said.
