I tell him I'm intrigued by his ability to command packed houses around the world despite the entertainment options available today. "I earn the highest foreign exchange among live performers," he gloats, "My shows in India are always houseful."

Sorcar Jr is far removed from the slickness of modern mainstream media-driven entertainment dominated by urbane chic. On stage, he is no more than a tired cliche left over from an earlier era. Still, he does fill those auditorium seats as a mass entertainer. "Magic is the cheapest form of entertainment," he says. "It inspires wonder in people. I like them to come and dream, to imagine..."

He constantly plays mind games. Or maybe he really is eccentric. "What is magic?" he asks. "I am not a magician, I am merely playing the role of one," he quotes from the Upanishad.

I steer the discussion towards his claims to have made a train on one occasion, the Taj Mahal on another, disappear briefly into thin air. Yes, he affirms, he did pull those off. How? I ask him. But PC isn't telling.

He could score a point or two with rationalists if he explained his modus operandi, I goad him -- or is he afraid of being copied? "That is a cheap question," he retorts.

With 400 packed shows every year, he might be able to make the payment too, and there's no doubting his ability to cast a spell over his audience, tacky tunic and all. On stage, he commands respect. But at Sarat Sadan, 1,200 seats strong, he's having a hard time keeping them mesmerised.

Image: P C Sorcar (centre) performs at a magic show in Siliguri. | Photograph: Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images