P. C. Sorcar

{{Infobox person

| name = Protul Chandra Sorcar

| image = Sorcar.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = P. C. Sorcar

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1913|2|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Tangail, Mymensingh, Bengal Presidency, British India (now in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh)

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1971|1|6|1913|2|23|df=yes}}

| death_place = Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan

| occupation = Magician

| nationality = Indian

| parents =

| spouse = Basanti Devi

| children = 3 sons, Manick Sorcar, P. C. Sorcar Jr., P. C. Sorcar, Young

| relatives = Piya Sorcar, Maneka Sorcar, Moubani Sorcar, Mumtaz Sorcar (grandchildren)

}}

Protul Chandra Sorcar (23 February 1913 – 6 January 1971) was an Indian magician.{{cite book |last=Parvez |first=Md Masud |year=2012 |chapter=Sorcar, PC |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sorcar,_PC |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}} He was an internationally active magician throughout the 1950s and 1960s, performing his Indrajal show before live audiences and on television. Sorcar died of a heart attack at the age of 57 in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan, on 6 January 1971, as he left the stage at the end of a performance.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44316854 |title=PC Sorcar: India's 'maharajah of magic' who terrified the UK |website=BBC}} P.C. Sorcar is known also as P.C. Sorcar Senior (as his son P.C. Sorcar Jr. also performs under the same name), is renowned as "Father of Modern Indian Magic".{{Cite news |date=2009-02-24 |title=Father of modern magic remembered |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/father-of-modern-magic-remembered/articleshow/4179493.cms |access-date=2023-09-15 |issn=0971-8257}}

Career

At the age of 21, Sorcar decided to give up formal education (he was likely to study to become an engineer), and decided to become a conjuror despite the profession's low esteem in India.{{Cite book |last=Randi |first=James |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/26162991 |title=Conjuring |date=1992 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=0-312-08634-2 |location=New York |oclc=26162991|author-link=James Randi}}{{rp|151}}

Sorcar became famous in the mid-1930s, when he performed shows in Kolkata and also in Japan and several other countries. Among other routines, he performed a Floating Lady routine featuring aerial suspension in 1964.{{Cite web |url=http://www.pcsorcarmagician.com/sorcarmagic.htm |title=Magic of PC Sorcar Senior |access-date=2 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127162737/http://www.pcsorcarmagician.com/sorcarmagic.htm |archive-date=27 November 2013 |url-status=dead }} Ganapati Chakraborty was his mentor.{{Cite web|title=P. C. Sorcar {{!}} The Asian Age Online, Bangladesh|url=http://dailyasianage.com/news/212813/?regenerate|access-date=2020-09-15|website=The Asian Age|language=en}}

In 1956, he performed the sawing a woman in half illusion on the BBC's Panorama program.{{Cite news |date=2018-06-02 |title=PC Sorcar: India's 'maharajah of magic' who terrified the UK |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44316854 |access-date=2023-02-09}} When he performed it on live television, it draw huge attention in the United Kingdom because the climax made it appear as though the women had actually been cut in half and died, which caused a public panic.{{Cite news |date=2018-06-02 |title=PC Sorcar: India's 'maharajah of magic' who terrified the UK |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44316854 |access-date=2023-03-18}}

His self-appointed title was "The World's Greatest Magician".{{rp|152}}

Sorcar died in Japan in 1971, suffering a massive heart attack while exiting the stage at the end of a performance.{{rp|153}}

Personal life

Sorcar was married to Basanti Devi. They were the parents of the animator, director and laserist Manick Sorcar and magicians P. C. Sorcar Jr. and P. C. Sorcar, Young.

Awards

Jadusamrat P.C. Sorcar Sarani The Government of India has named a major street in Calcutta after him
Padma Shri (the Lotus), awarded by the President of India on 26 January 1964
The Sphinx (Oscar of Magic), US, 1946 and 1954
The Royal Medallion, German Magic Circle

Postage stamp

File:Stamp of India - 2010 - Colnect 259552 - P C Sorcar.jpeg

On 23 February 2010, India Post issued a commemorative stamp to honour him.{{cite web |url=http://postagestamps.gov.in/Stamps2010.aspx |title=Postage Stamps |website=India Post}}{{cite news |date=24 February 2010 |title=Postage stamp on P.C. Sorcar issued |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article112380.ece |newspaper=The Hindu}}