British magician Drummond Money-Coutts, who was in the city for a talk, speaks about ditching the royal life to pursue his passion and his love for Mumbai
British magician Drummond Money-Coutts
What encouraged you to leave the comfort of your aristocratic life as the heir apparent of the Latymer Barony and pursue magic?
A lot of people think I moved away from comfort and into the unpredictable world of magic when for me, it was the opposite. Magic was comfortable, natural and it was what I loved. When I tried working for investment banks, that was unfamiliar. It was actually the easiest.
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How did the trip to India transpire?
I don't need any excuse to come to India. I knew when I head back to London from Sri Lanka, I would be flying over Mumbai, so I decided to stopover. It's one of my favourite places. I performed at a few private shows and conducted a talk for students of the Mount Litera School International on alternate and unconventional careers. They had intriguing questions and it was amazing to meet them.
India continues to be ambivalent towards alternative careers. How did you address this issue with your talk here in Mumbai?
This isn't just the case with India. Even until a few years ago, in the UK, I would be performing at a party and people would ask me later, "Is this is really what you do?" But the world is changing fast. Compared to my visit here 10 years ago, today, India feels like a different universe. People are more open-minded and I am sure any hesitations about alternate careers will change soon. Even
for my talk, the idea was to encourage students to follow their heart. They are at a pivotal stage and it's important for them to know that true success and happiness must follow from doing what you love.
One of India's most revered magicians was P C Sarkar. Do you know about him?
I do know about him and in fact, I went to a magic store many years ago, which was run by one of his relatives. I have read about him and I think he died while performing for a show in Japan. If I'm fortunate, I'd love to celebrate and highlight his story perhaps when I do a web show again.
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