Jewel Aich

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Jewel Aich is a renowned Bangladeshi magician and bānsurī. He is regarded as the leading Bangladeshi magician.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Early life 2 Magic 3 Bansari 4 Special Works 5 Awards 6 References

[edit] Early life

Jewel Aich was born in the village Shomdekathi in Shorupkathi thana in Barisal. His father B.K. Aich was a businessman. Jewel was the fifth of nine childrens^[1].

Aich was very introvert in his early life according to himself. He was also suffering a serious head pain which kept him away to play with his friends. The art of magic attracted him very early in his life. He first saw magic from a man of gypsy when he came with his company to his house^[2] Soon afterwards a circus party came to his nearby village. Aich went there and saw a man showing the magic of cutting the neck of one of his members. Aich was not satisfied and to see that and tried to show one by himself as a result. So he came back to home and made an special knife to show the same magic. Later he showed it to his friends for the first time of his life^[3]. Jewel was also interested with flute called Bansari. When he lived in village one of his poor neighbors was used to play flute which also attracted him. Aich first learnt to play to Nitai who gave him his only flute to practicey^[4]. He also took grammatical training from his village friend Poritosh Mondol. However he finished his primary education in his village and went to town to study in high school. There once when he was the volunteer of one of the school’s sporting event, a serious injury hurt him when the bowl of discuss hit him to his head^[5]. When he finished school and went to college his name already spread through his home district for his art, magic, statue and flute. He went to Jogonnath College of Dhaka to achieve higher study.

During the Bangladesh Liberation War enemies looted all the belongings of his family including the furniture and the tiles of the floor. Then they had to escape to Kolkata with his family. Aich then joined the war of liberation and took part in (Shommukh Juddho). But when he became sick his mates did not gave him any rifle. Instead he worked less physical works like teaching the students in refugee camps and inspiring the fighters. When people came to know about his magician identity they took him to meet with their local magicians^[6].

[edit] Magic

Very early in his life he was attracted with magic. When he saw the magic being shown in the circuses he thought to become a magician. His inspiration was so much that he even made an special wooden knife to show magic to his friends. Surprisingly his first magic was success when he showed he cut the leg of one of his friends. His interest on magic grew even larger when he read the books of Bonde Ali Miah where appealing description of magic was written. But the idea of showing magic as a gentleman came to him when he read the book of famous magician P. C. Sorcar^[7]. He achieved name in his magic along with his other works of arts very early in his life. In 1997 famous TV presentator of that time Abdullah Abu Sayeed asked him to show magic in his magazine^[8]. Aich was interested and came to Dhaka to show his magic to the viewers of the television. His magic pleased the audience and he continued to work in tv programs. In 1979 Mostafa Kamal Wahid showed his clippings to the Americans and they were impressed and invited him to their country. In 1981 Society of American Magicians asked him to perform in America. There he performed in front of thousands of magicians as one of the four ideal performers which is regarded as immensely prestigious^[9]. During his long magician career he performed all parts of Bangladesh and the major cities of the world. He is widely regarded as one of the best magicians in recent times. He always spoken clearly about his performances saying all of his magic are scientifically created and did not took any mysterious claim.

[edit] Bansari

Jewel Aich had a deep passion for flute from very early in his life. Like magic the seed of this passion started in his village. In the village there are a number of flute players who caught his attention. He first learnt how to play from one of his neighbor Nitai. Nitai was a poor fisherman who taught him how to (fu) in the banshi. He also gave him his single flute so that he could carry on his practice. When he went to higher school to study he met with a poor flute seller who also played very well. Afterwards he went to the town of Barishal he went to Shati Sen’s house to learn to play flute. He suggested him to practice more and obliged carefully. Despite his unbearable head which increased if he played flute, he carried to play^[10]. During his college days he was inspired by his friends. Once his name was included in the list of performers in the college festival by his friends. But he was so nervous to play in front of the girls that he failed even to pick the tune in the flute. He got so frustrated and but his friends continued to give him support. With their support he agreed to play again and made no mistake^[11]. He continued playing flutes. He became a regular artist in the Bangladesh Betar and also played flute in the Voice of America ^[12] program. To avoid stretching his back, he made a curved Bansari so that he could play by keeping the head straight.

[edit] Special Works

• Aich calls specialist doctors to come to the stage and check his assistant. Then he gave him hypnotic suggestion and bloods from his mouth are perished. Then he asked to check the pulse of the assistant and the doctors feel there is none. Then he cut his tongue in front of them. In the end the assistant of course become normal. Whenever he showed this he saw people losing their senses^[13].

• Aich took a round moving cutter and cut a stick with this. Then he took that right through the body of his wife Bipasha Aich. The magic was showed on BTV a number of times.

• Aich made a famous prediction during the World Cup of cricket in 1996 before the final. Prior to that B.C. Sarkar predicted that he sat on the back of Sachin Tendulkar and guiding him to success. However Sachin failed to convert in semi final and the people started to act as if Jewel Aich himself made the prediction. He was annoyed with this and also annoyed the un-scientific explonation of Sarkar. So he decided to make a prediction before the final. His prediction are then sealed in front of nearly hundreds of journalists at the press club by the former Mohaporichalok of BSS and the general secretary of press club and kept in the volt of the Agrani Bank. After the final the envelop was opened again in front of the journalists by omuk. His predictions were Sri Lanka won, if they second they would win by 6 or 7 wickets and Aravinda De Silva will be man of the match. All of his predictions came true. Aich then made it clear to the journalists that this is none of his miraculous power and have an explanation^[14][15].

[edit] Awards

Jewel is achieved a lot of prizes in his life. On June 18, 1989, he was awarded with a trophy from Paul Danielson at the Hakni Empire Theatre by Jewel Aich Celebration Committee^[16]. He was also awarded with the highest prestigious award of Bangladesh Ekushey Padak.

[edit] References

1. ^ Mashik Taitombur, June 1992
2. ^ Aich, Jewel, Antoraler Ami.pp-53
3. ^ Dainik Bhorer Kagoj, February 15, 1993
4. ^ Dainik Banglabazar Patrika, February 11, 1992
5. ^ Mashik Taitombur, June 1992
6. ^ Antoraler Ami.ppo.55-56
7. ^ Aich, Jewel. Antoraler Ami.pp-53-55
8. ^ Aich, Jewel. Antoraler Ami.pp-57
9. ^ Ghoroya Khobor, Bishwashahittya Kendra
10. ^ Aich, Jewel. Antoraler Ami.pp-51-53
11. ^ Dainik Banglabazar Patrika, March 24, 1994
12. ^ Aich, Jewel. Antoraler Ami.pp-95
13. ^ Aich, Jewel, Antoraler Ami.pp.21-22.
14. ^ Aich, Jewel. Antoraler Ami.pp.41-45
15. ^ Dainik Shongbad, April 1996
16. ^ Aich, Jewel. Antoraler Ami.pp-63