Sharman Joshi to perform in a mentalist show at NCPA this weekend

Sleight of hand Distraction Illusions In the cynical world coloured by modern technology the simple illusion of magic no longer holds the same sway Yet there is a new genre that has emerged and is slowly capturing the attention of the modern audience mdash mentalism From names such as Lior Suchard to Suhani Shah there is a list of personalities who can take an audience by the hand and cast a spell using simple games of prediction premonition and precognition On June 2 Sharman Joshi actor will join mentalist Bhupesh Dave in a show titled Braintertainers that seeks to enchant as much as arouse curiosityIn a moment from the rehearsalThe curiosity for this writer at least was triggered by Joshirsquos presence on the show The 3 Idiots actor who played Raju Rastogi in the cult flick is remembered for his versatile screen personas and not as a performer of mental tricks ldquoIt was an interest that began when I attended Daversquos show six years agordquo Joshi recalls As a guest he found it fascinating that an individual could read the audience so well and in so short a time ldquoI wanted to learn more about how he read people and his performance methodsrdquo he says And so over many meetings and a long hiatus during the pandemic the actor signed up for an internship to learn the craft behind the artBut how does one go from being in a Raju Hirani film to studying expressions ldquoCuriosityrdquo laughs Joshi Dave recalls ldquoI showed him only a few techniques of gauging and identifying signals in the beginning but he went on to do his own research and would come back with some very interesting approaches and questions That got me thinking if he should pursue this more seriouslyrdquo After four months of intense training and workshopping the duo is all set to bring their first show to the Mumbai stage this weekendThe two performers work the details with their teamWhile the genre has been popular mdash finding its way to television through series such as Psych Sherlock and even the eponymous The Mentalist mdash Dave is keen to point out that there is a key difference between magicians and mentalists ldquoIt is the highest form of magic Mentalists work with mental illusions ie studying behavioural patterns body languages and facial expressionsrdquo Before he turned to mentalism Dave was a Civil Services aspirant and even cleared the state exams in 1986 ldquoI took mentalism up as a profession in late 198889rdquo he shares Since then he has been constantly learning adapting and evolving new techniques These understandings offer insight into the one common factor that has remained unchanged mdash human behaviourFor Joshi this was the common plane between theatrical acting and stage illusion ldquoAs an actor we are as much readers of peoplersquos behaviour as anyone else The elements of the performance also overlap Moreover I was drawn to the immense amount of concentration and skill requiredrdquo Joshi revealsTricks is a rather simplistic term for something that happens so quickly it feels instinctive ldquoI watch and read people from the minute they are in front of me Whether they choose a black marble or a white one are lying or not it all comes across in facial features ticks and behavioural patterns It is not an exact science and even I make mistakes The trick is to tide over the mistakes with showmanshiprdquo he laughsThe duo debuted the show for students at SKC College in Vasai earlier this year ldquoI was still unsure of myself in front of people despite being an actor for so long Dave suggested this was the best way to gain that confidence Now I have itrdquo Joshi remarks The Mumbai show will mark the beginning of a tour that will see the duo take to stages across the country and perform ldquoThe 21st century is a digital age and how we do is just as important as what we do In fact in some cases the trick is not so important as the presentationrdquo shares DaveON June 2 4 pm and 7 pmAT Tata Theatre NCPA Nariman PointLOG ON TO inbookmyshowcomCOST Rs 250 onwards