O. P. Sharma (1952-2022) was an Indian magician and illusionist, who performed in more than 39,000 magic shows in India and other countries. He was known as the Master of Illusion. [1]DNA India
Contents
Wiki/Biography
O. P. Sharma aka Om Prakash Sharma [2]India.com was born on Tuesday, 1 April 1952 (age 70 years, at the time of death) in Moolgaon, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. His zodiac sign is Aries. He did his schooling at P. S. Bihara Harpur Primary School, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. He then attended Kunwar Singh Inter College, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. In 1970, he pursued his graduation in mechanical engineering at T. D. College, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. Later, he did a course in mechanical design. [3]Facebook- OP Sharma [4]YouTube- News One India
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
There is not much information available about his parents. O. P. Sharma had an elder brother.
Wife & Children
In 1962, he got married to a girl named Meenakshi Sharma. The couple has three sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Prem Prakash, works at Delhi Doordarshan. His second son, Satya Prakash aka O P Sharma Jr., is a magician, and his third son, Pankaj Prakash, operated a printing press. O. P. Sharma’s daughter’s name is Renu Sharma.
Address
MIG-A, Barra 2, Barra World Bank, Barra, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208027
Journey of Becoming Jaadugar O. P. Sharma
While O. P. Sharma was studying in class 2, he developed an interest in magic tricks. He used to show magic tricks to his classmates. During an interview, while talking about it, he said,
This all started when I was in 2nd standard, nearly 7 or 8 years old. I performed a small act and it was widely appreciated by the students and teachers alike. I became the center of attraction and started performing magic tricks on Friday every week.”
Initially, his parents did not like his inclination towards magic tricks and they opposed it. However, when he started gaining popularity for his tricks, they started supporting him. In an interview, O. P. Sharma said that his elder brother supported him in pursuing his career as a magician. He said,
Nobody in my family had a background in performing magic. But, my elder brother was my real strength who supported my interest. I still remember him visiting during the summer holidays and working on magic tricks with me. As I grew older, I started reading books about magic and continued my studies in parallel.”
After completing his graduation, in 1971, he got a job as a mechanical designer at Small Arms Factory, Kanpur. His first stage performance as a magician was in Shastri Nagar colony, Kanpur. Later, he performed in his first commercial magic show in Mumbai. He continued performing in magic shows along with his job. Soon, he started getting popularity in India and got many offers to perform in various parts of India and other countries as well. His magic shows generally started with a man coming out of an empty box. His shows were popularly known by the name ‘Indrajaal.’ Later, his son joined him in the magic shows as magician O. P. Sharma Jr. He then started a magic show group ‘Prakash Magico.’ His group had more than 13 magicians.
Death
For the past few years, he had some medical issues with his kidney. In October 2022, he was admitted to Fortune Hospital, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh for treatment. On 15 October 2022, he took his last breath at the hospital and died of kidney-related ailments. [5]DNA India
Facts/Trivia
- O. P. Sharma had built his house named ‘Bhoot Bangla’ in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The infrastructure of his house is like a haunted house.
- In 2001, he was honoured with the National Magic Award and “Shehensha-e-Jadoo” (King of Magic) title by the Indian Magic Media Circle.
- Once, he contested for the Govindnagar Legislative Assembly seat for the Samajwadi Party. In 2019, he left Samajwadi Party and joined the BJP.
- One of his favourite quotes was,
Life is a Magic and Magic is my life.”
- In an interview, he was asked about his inspiration as a magician. He said,
I’ve always tried to learn from others, imbibe whatever good qualities they have. I was truly mesmerized by the shows of Magician K Lal and he inspired to make my shows magnificent. Presentation is crucial in this field.”
References
↑1, ↑5 | DNA India |
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↑2 | India.com |
↑3 | Facebook- OP Sharma |
↑4 | YouTube- News One India |