At over 55 -- he refuses to reveal his exact age, cocking a snook at rationalists again, saying "there's no evidence of my being born!" -- he admits to not knowing how to end a popular act. The performance in Howrah -- the first of his career -- is significant.
"It was once an industrial hub," he says, "and is where I source all my props." If he did not perform there, it was because of the lack of an auditorium. "I wanted to make people there proud," he reveals a humane side, "I wanted to tell them that I do my magic with what they make."
In the auditorium, in a row behind me, a family of eight has spent Rs 1,200 to buy the tickets for the show.
When it ends, I turn to ask them if what they saw was magic. Instead of replying, they burst into a fit of giggles. P C Sorcar Jr has them in a thrall -- even if it's just entertainment, magician style.
THE ECONOMY OF SORCAR
In India
Minimum duration of a show in a city: 10 days
Charges a minimum of Rs 50,000 per show. May sometimes offer concessions
Ticket prices: Rs 20 to Rs 200
Overseas
Minimum duration of a show: 6 weeks
Charges $25,000 per show
Performs almost 400 shows in a year
Pays 20 per cent in entertainment tax
Employs 156 people permanently and hires extras as needed
Materials and props sourced locally
Image: P C Sorcar performs at a magic show in North Bengal. | Photograph: Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images
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