The mystery performer who can make you doubt reality
Ahead of his first commercial show, Shaheer Khan reveals what goes on in his mind while he is trying to read yours
Khan will be performing at the FTC Auditorium in Karachi between December 9 and December 11. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
At one point in the 2013 American thriller Now You See Me, Jesse Eisenberg’s character J Daniel Atlas says, “The closer you think you are, the less you’ll actually see.” His word sum up what many consider as magic but is actually a deception — a focused deception, to be precise. Mentalists, like the world-renowned Lior Suchard, embody another aspect of this ‘magic.’ A mentalist is someone who avoids theatrical trickery and focuses more on mental trickery.
Shaheer Khan, however, does not ascribe to either label. In fact, he proclaims himself as a “mystery performer.” Khan happens to be the first artist signed to Fun Ka Kaam — comedian Ali Gul Pir’s new entertainment company — and is currently gearing up to perform at Karachi’s FTC Auditorium between December 9 and December 11. Speaking with The Express Tribune, the artist discussed his upcoming show and how he ended up in this rather unconventional vocation. “I have two core abilities: predicting human behaviour and reading people’s minds,” he revealed. “The entire show is based around the idea that I, a mind reader, will come on stage and read people’s minds and predict their behaviour.”
Khan stated that he warms up the audience in the first 15 minutes of a show and then takes his performance forward from there, all depending on the reactions he receives. “In the beginning, I’m not all ready to go, so I get to know people first and then I hit it off and start guessing things that nobody else would ever know.”
The mystery performer started his journey 15 years ago, at the age of 11. The self-taught artist had always been an intuitive child and with time and practice, learned how to use his intuition to become an entertainer. Inspired by master illusionist David Copperfield, Khan started out as a magician. “I was fascinated by the theatricality and the grandeur of his shows. I loved how he could make you feel like you are in another world when, all the while, you’re just sitting in a theatre.”
According to Khan, there’s a lot of intuition that comes into play in his performances. “It’s like when you miss your friend and suddenly, he calls you. When you keep focusing on and refining that part of your mind, you can do things that a lot of people can’t do,” Khan said. “It’s like meditation.”
Many have labelled him a psychic but Khan rejects that too. “It just requires a lot of intuition and guesswork. I work with people’s energy,” he clarified. The reason he prefers to be called a ‘mystery performer’ is because a mentalist only judges from body language. “I use a lot of intuition. I like inducing mystery into people’s lives and inject more questions rather than answers. I can make you think twice about your reality.”
Asked whether his work has scope in Pakistan, he said people here have been exposed to palm readers and psychics so this is not completely new for them. “What people are concerned about is whether we use it for good because a lot of people start conning others, whereas I only use it for entertainment.” Giving a preview of his upcoming shows, Khan said he would start with the game of Russian Roulette. “Usually people end with this act but I start with it.”
Khan will be going live on The Express Tribune’s Facebook page on Wednesday at 1:30 pm, to give a live demonstration of his talent. He promised he will do something that “has never been done before… ever!”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2016.
At one point in the 2013 American thriller Now You See Me, Jesse Eisenberg’s character J Daniel Atlas says, “The closer you think you are, the less you’ll actually see.” His word sum up what many consider as magic but is actually a deception — a focused deception, to be precise. Mentalists, like the world-renowned Lior Suchard, embody another aspect of this ‘magic.’ A mentalist is someone who avoids theatrical trickery and focuses more on mental trickery.
Shaheer Khan, however, does not ascribe to either label. In fact, he proclaims himself as a “mystery performer.” Khan happens to be the first artist signed to Fun Ka Kaam — comedian Ali Gul Pir’s new entertainment company — and is currently gearing up to perform at Karachi’s FTC Auditorium between December 9 and December 11. Speaking with The Express Tribune, the artist discussed his upcoming show and how he ended up in this rather unconventional vocation. “I have two core abilities: predicting human behaviour and reading people’s minds,” he revealed. “The entire show is based around the idea that I, a mind reader, will come on stage and read people’s minds and predict their behaviour.”
Khan stated that he warms up the audience in the first 15 minutes of a show and then takes his performance forward from there, all depending on the reactions he receives. “In the beginning, I’m not all ready to go, so I get to know people first and then I hit it off and start guessing things that nobody else would ever know.”
The mystery performer started his journey 15 years ago, at the age of 11. The self-taught artist had always been an intuitive child and with time and practice, learned how to use his intuition to become an entertainer. Inspired by master illusionist David Copperfield, Khan started out as a magician. “I was fascinated by the theatricality and the grandeur of his shows. I loved how he could make you feel like you are in another world when, all the while, you’re just sitting in a theatre.”
According to Khan, there’s a lot of intuition that comes into play in his performances. “It’s like when you miss your friend and suddenly, he calls you. When you keep focusing on and refining that part of your mind, you can do things that a lot of people can’t do,” Khan said. “It’s like meditation.”
Many have labelled him a psychic but Khan rejects that too. “It just requires a lot of intuition and guesswork. I work with people’s energy,” he clarified. The reason he prefers to be called a ‘mystery performer’ is because a mentalist only judges from body language. “I use a lot of intuition. I like inducing mystery into people’s lives and inject more questions rather than answers. I can make you think twice about your reality.”
Asked whether his work has scope in Pakistan, he said people here have been exposed to palm readers and psychics so this is not completely new for them. “What people are concerned about is whether we use it for good because a lot of people start conning others, whereas I only use it for entertainment.” Giving a preview of his upcoming shows, Khan said he would start with the game of Russian Roulette. “Usually people end with this act but I start with it.”
Khan will be going live on The Express Tribune’s Facebook page on Wednesday at 1:30 pm, to give a live demonstration of his talent. He promised he will do something that “has never been done before… ever!”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2016.