Suhani Shah is India’s first female mentalist, illusionist and magician who is ruling the roost within the male-dominated magic industry in India. With the expertise of experience of performing over 5,000 shows globally over the last 2 decades, she imbibes incredible skills in mind reading, situational comedy and audience participation. Whilst most content creators belong to archetypal categories, Shah is one of the rare millennial influencers in the country to have painstakingly carved a brand-new category of magic within the digital landscape by breaking away from archetype connotations of how magic is perceived in India. She is currently the most viewed mentalist and one of the top 5 subscribed magicians in the world, a remarkable feat for the South Asian female community. At the age of 6, she was mesmerised by a magic presentation and she was eager to induct herself into the art. Soon after, she opted out of formal education in order to pursue her passion for magic. She performed her first show at the age of 7.
Since then, there has been no looking back. She has been the preferred choice for corporate bigwigs like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Infosys, BCG etc, performed to sold-out audiences, sold the highest number of tickets amongst her peers and has made multiple television appearances. She boasts of a whopping 6 million followers on social media making her the leader of the pack and has impressed the likes of Martin Garrix, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Badshah, The Quickstyle, Boman Irani, PV Sindhu, Yuzvendra Chahal, Janhavi Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Saina Nehwal, Rajkumar Rao, Anu Malik, Himesh Reshammiya and the likes. Her first stage show was held at Thakorbhai Desai Hall in Ahmedabad on 22 October 1997. She entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s youngest magician when she was seven. She has won several awards and has been conferred the title of Jadoopari (transl. magic fairy) by the All India Magic Association.
However, during the pandemic, Shah dabbled in live streaming on YouTube which eventually led to the birth of the internet's most-watched live-stream game show ever - ‘That's My Job’. Now in its fourth season, it has featured celebrity guests such as Raftaar, Zakir Khan, Anupam Mittal, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Tanmay Bhat amongst others. She has also established a unique brand lineage for herself in the gaming industry having partnered with Netflix India for ‘Yeh Toh Kuch Bhi Nahi’ and also having raised sufficient contributions for people affected by COVID through multiple charity streams. A TED speaker, she launched a clinic in Goa called ‘Suhani Mindcare’ in 2014 where she played the role of a relationship expert and a dietician specialist for over 9 years before she made Mumbai her home. She has also written several books based on human psychology such as ‘Unleash Your Hidden Powers’, ‘Conquer Yourself’, ‘Karma’ and ‘Sharpen Your Memory
Please tell us a bit about your work and upcoming shows.
I'm Suhani Shah, a mentalist with over 25 years of experience in the magic industry. While I started performing as a child, the pandemic forced me to find new ways to connect with my audience. So, I turned to online content creation and our Youtube channel to maintain that connection. It's amazing to see how our community has grown and evolved, and I'm grateful to now have the most subscribed mentalist channel in the world.
As a mentalist, I specialize in a sub-genre of magic that not all magicians practice. Mentalism is focused on psychological illusions and mind-reading, whereas other magicians may be street performers, illusionists, or escape artists.
Regarding my upcoming shows, I'll be returning to London to perform at the Soho Theatre from April 11th to 15th. This time, we've expanded our tour to include other cities like Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Cologne, where I'll be performing for the first time. I'm thrilled to bring my show to new audiences and can't wait for these performances.
How does a mentalist keep themselves sane when they have so much acumen and power to read minds?
As a mentalist, I believe in using my skills responsibly, and I'm keenly aware of the adage that with great power comes great responsibility. Mentalism, for me, is an art form that requires me to be completely immersed in the moment and deeply observant, so it's not something that I practice all the time.
It's important to note that mentalism and magic are both art forms. In all of my shows, I make it clear that I do not have any supernatural abilities and that what I do is merely an illusion of mind reading. Unfortunately, some people tend to treat mentalists as if we possess otherworldly powers, which is a misconception. We are simply artists who are passionate about our craft. While mentalism and magic involve a lot of mystery, it's crucial for people to understand that they are art forms and should be treated as such.
What is it like to be one of the rare female magicians in the South Asian community?
As a female magician in the Asian community, I began my journey over 25 years ago without any preconceived notions about entering a male-dominated field. For me, magic was simply a passion that I wanted to pursue. With the support of those around me, that passion turned into a profession that I still enjoy today. It wasn't until I was 17 and asked about being a female magician by a journalist that I realised the significance of being one of the rare female magicians in the Asian community.
However, I firmly believe that artists should not be defined by their gender but by their talents and abilities. I prefer to be recognised simply as an artist. Despite this, I receive many emails and requests from young girls seeking advice about my field of magic, particularly mentalism. They want to know how I chose this path, how I convinced my parents, and how I succeeded in my career.
When I see these young girls looking up at me with hope in their eyes, it is truly humbling. It makes me grateful that the decisions I have made in my life can inspire someone else.
