.
Samala Venu’s magical
story is not hereditary. It is rather a
trick of destiny. But it is also an example
of his undeterred determination. He stumbled
upon this art by chance and picked the threads
of magic at the termination point of his
career as a rising star in table tennis.
He quit his favorite sport due to lack of
proper encouragement and he chose the “magical”
path after drawing inspiration from a magic
show. This was the turning point in his
life. Samala Venu was trained under many
teachers including the noted P.C. Sorcar.
As a novice, he had to undergo much travail
in winning the trust of the magicians and
had to prove his earnestness in learning
the art. This is so because magic is not
an art that can be taught to all and sundry.
There are high risks involved in this profession,
mainly due to its grotesques misuse by some
individuals. So the young Venu had to take
a pledge before he was initiated into the
rigorous art of learning the secret tricks
of magic. His first few experiments were
at his college, and this gave him the much
needed boost to aim higher. Success seemed
to be writ large on his face, as the young
magicians found magicians found himself
ascending his ladder of ambition. He received
wide acclaim for his magic in India, and
abroad. Most of his shows have been organised
for charity.
Guinness
Book of World Records
His magical tricks leapfrogged
him into the international limelight as
he strode into the Guinness Book of World
Records in July 1992 for performing a splendid,
yet, arduous feat of blindfold driving on
a two wheeler for 3,185 kilometers covering
all the districts of Andhra Pradesh.
National
Youth Award from the President of India
In 1995, he became the
recipient of the prestigious National Youth
Award for his exemplary and innovative magic
shows to create social awareness. Jadu Mahaveer
is yet another title bestowed upon him by
his fans.
Fashion Magic
Show
Samala Venu’s uniqueness
lies in his innovative fusion of magic with
specific themes. It is a brilliant attempt
at an artistic medley. A fine example is
fashion magic where fashion models sashay
on the ramp and provide the glamour and
glitz while magic tricks enhance the mood
of the audience. Such shows are well received
by the spectators since they are treated
to more than just magic!
A creative show such as
this requires tremendous hard work and long
hours of practice, observes Venu. According
to him, magic is a mass communication medium
and is solely meant for pure entertainment.
On the other hand, hypnotism, which he also
practices, is meant to motivate people and
to help them overcome certain psychological
problems, thereby realizing their true inner
potentials. Venu’s ability to communicate
to the masses through his magical and hypnotic
prowess has attracted them to him just as
bees are lured towards a pot of honey. The
instantaneous rapport that he builds with
the people is also reflects in his PR qualities
that has helped him to spread his contacts
far and wide. He describes himself as a
“public relations magician”
and believes that “every artist should
possess a PR quality, only then success
will be inevitable”.
|
