Hrazu: On magic and myriads of memories

Tuhin Kanti Das

Published: July 21, 2021, 03:41 PM

Hrazu: On magic and myriads of memories

Bangladeshi magician Sajedur "Hrazu" Rahman picked up the tricks of the trade from a magic shop. These days he can often be found wowing the celebrity world with his trickery, captured for audiences on his high-ratings television series titled Hrazu: Thinking Magic.

The Report: At what age and how did you get involved in magic?

Hrazu: I think I was 8 years old, and at the time it was never to be a performer, it was a way of getting myself out of trouble on the estate that I grew up in. It made me stand out and when guys would pick on me, I'd just do some crazy stuff to distract their attention.

The Report: How would you describe your magic?

Hrazu: I love to perform and if I try anything new, I'll always take it to the streets first. It's the most natural reaction; people on the streets will tell you straight if something's bad or good. It's the most honest crowd in the world - they're not paid to be there and I'm not being paid to be there.

The Report: How did you come to name yourself Hrazu?

Hrazu: Actually,My official name is Razeeb. This name was given by my grandmother. When I was at school my classmates used to call me Razu. When I started the stage show, People pronounced my name as 'Hrazu'.

The Report: You've performed for some of the biggest names in the Bangladesh, who has been your favourite?

Hrazu: I liked performing for Ambrina Sarjeen Ambrin, that was cool. I think she's one of the coolest in the world, style-wise she's such a trendsetter. In every interview you see with her, she's super, super cool but I managed to break through all that front and really got to see a human genuinely amazed, and the genuine Saif Khan that people don't often see. He respected what I did enough to show his true colours which meant a lot. I've performed for Masuma Rahman Nabila a few times and she always gives an amazing response. She's just so random; I can never guess how she's going to react. Sometimes she runs around crazy, sometimes she's just gob-smacked. There have been times when I've performed and she hasn't said anything, and not everyone can manage to keep Nabila quiet. I've got millions of experiences where people have just given amazing reactions.

The Report: Who's been your most cynical?

Hrazu: I could probably go back to Singer Mizan Rahman because he was really cynical and he's a really intelligent guy. He was watching everything I was doing closely and then to actually break through that and get the respect from him - it was really rewarding.

The Report: What are your career highlights so far?

Hrazu: Making this TV series that I'm doing right now has been one of the highlights. I'm finally getting to put all these ideas and all the hard work into creating a show that fits the vision that I want to show my magic in. I've had a lot of offers over the years which I've turned down and they could possibly have made me a household name, but I've had to hold out for that right moment. For me, it's never been about becoming famous or becoming a celebrity; it's about creating experiences and sharing wonder with the world.

The Report: What's been your favourite magic trick you've performed?

Hrazu: The favourite piece of magic I've ever performed myself was the thing I did with actress Orchita Sporshia. I'm quite good friends with her now, I was a fan of her work long before she became well-known. She's known famously for her outstanding acting, as she always likes to eat ice cream. I went to her set and she bought ice cream for us and requested me to show her a magic by playing cards but I wanted mine to be a bit special so I requested her to take a random card from the deck and make it some pieces. After that she gave me a piece of playing card, and that I vanished into thin air right infront of her from my hand. Interestingly, she found that in the middle of her ice cream. The reaction from her was amazing because the ice cream was bought by her.

The Report: If you weren't in magic, what do you think you'd be doing now?

Hrazu: I'd probably be behind the Canvas. I love to paint; Landscape pieces mostly. A lot of my friends were in the Charukala or trying to get in the field of painting, being painters themselves or making paintings, and one of my best friends is now doing what I probably would have been doing - he creates some of the best portrait paintings in the Bangladesh for some of the biggest artists. That was always one of my biggest passions.

Link copied!