The medicine of magic

This talented young man’s career choices are both interesting and intriguing, as he pursues his dream in excelling at both

BY PREETI JABBAL

He has been reviewed on Chortle as a ‘Ladies man’ who emanates rock star vibes. It’s this conjunction of talent, brains and good looks that sets young Indian doctor Vyom Sharma apart, getting him critical acclaim at the recent Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF). He is also scheduled to perform live in this year’s Melbourne Magic Festival from July 7-10, in Northcote Town Hall.

Vyom has twice won the second place at the Australian Society of Magician’s Competition. His sell-out show A Modern Deception won him kudos and recognition at the recent MICF and he has also been invited to perform at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Since graduating in 2008, this young medic from Monash University has leapt

As our conversation unfolded, I observed the determination and focus that has helped Vyom through the challenging years of learning medicine and lately, magic into a new trajectory, exploring the diverse world of magic. Quite similar to the protagonist in The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho’s magical fable, Vyom is listening to his heart and exploring what’s strewn in life’s path for him, by following his dream.

When I called him for an interview he was helping his friends unload a van and was very polite and approachable. As our conversation unfolded, I observed the determination and focus that has helped Vyom through the challenging years of learning medicine and lately, magic. At the outset I felt that it was going to be interesting to speak to this doctor-cummagician, sometimes comedian and ‘handyman’. And true to my instinct, Vyom’s story gave me hope and put a smile on my face.

Conformity isn’t creativity, and neither is routine. Creative expression gives our brain a workout, activating new circuits in our grey matter, and Vyom agrees with this view. “When I was doing medicine I was fascinated by magic, and now that I have taken a year off to actually do magic, I find medicine intriguingly interesting. I was forced to ask myself which one is my true calling but honestly, I cannot imagine life without either. Both challenge me in a very unique way,” he reveals. “I wouldn’t, however, call myself a comedian. One of the primary ways in which we can engage with an audience is through telling them a story and that’s what I am good at,” adds Vyom.

Is that why his upcoming show is called Seven Stories, I ask. “Every magician has a lot of tricks, but they don’t always have a theme. I like to base my magic on this most powerful tool in any magician’s kit, the ability to tell a good story,” says Vyom. “A story always makes a performance more fascinating and interesting, and evokes more reaction. With Seven Stories I have a collection of seven stories from personal life, urban legends, classics, fiction and one that I am expected to create on the spot,” he said.

Vyom puts a lot of emphasis on effect in his shows. Personally, I thought that the pause and pursuit of effect sometimes tended to dominate his performance. Was this sustainable in the long run? “Yes, definitely,” claims Vyom. “In the long run people do not remember what they saw, what they heard or read, but they always remember what they felt. If you create that connection with your audience and find stories that make them feel in some way, that is a very reliable tool to have in your performance kit. There is something timeless about a good story,” he adds.

Vyom’s upbringing as he terms it, was ‘very relaxed’. He was born in Delhi and his family migrated to Australia when he was 9. His father is an engineer and mother is a General Practitioner. He has a brother 18 months younger than him who is also a doctor. Initially they lived in Melbourne for three years, and then moved to Brisbane for five years. Vyom then returned to Melbourne to practice medicine, and is now based here with his family. “Nothing disgusts me more than the weather here, but I am sure there is no other place in the world where I would have been able to do what I have done. It is a great place to live in,” says this young Melbournian.

Vyom learnt his first magic trick when he was 17, and since then he was hooked. He has been performing magic in shows for the last three years and he intends to travel to Scotland and the US soon. At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this year he will perform with a friend in a show called Manipulated. He is aiming to also perform in New York in a regular Monday night show.

Like the young shepherd in The Alchemist, Vyom also yearns to travel on his magical journey, and he is obviously and passionately committed to claiming and living the life of his dreams - but today! At 24, this young magician has endless possibilities ahead of him, and he intends making the most of them.

“If you create that connection with your audience and find stories that make them feel in some way, that is a very reliable tool to have in your performance kit”

Vyom Sharma