Gopinath Muthukad is a renowned Indian magician and illusionist, known for his captivating performances that blend magic, storytelling, and social commentary. Throughout his career, he has entertained audiences around the world with his unique brand of magic, which often incorporates elements of Indian culture and mythology.
In addition to his work as a performer, Muthukad has also dedicated his life to promoting peace, human rights, and social justice through his magic. He has used his art to raise awareness of issues such as child labor, domestic violence, and environmental degradation, and has been a vocal advocate for marginalized communities in India and beyond.
Muthukad has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the arts and to society, including the prestigious Merlin Award for “Magician of the Decade” in 2009. He has also founded several organizations dedicated to promoting the arts, education, and social welfare, including the Academy of Magical Sciences and the Magic Planet. Through his many accomplishments, Muthukad has become a beloved figure in the world of magic and a respected voice for peace and humanity.
Academy of Magical Sciences
Magic Planet, the world’s first magic theme park, was built in 2014 by Gopinath Muthukad, to protect public oriented art forms and street performers. it was designed to impart wonders and immense possibilities of magical art to the common public which includes the domestic tourists and foreigners visiting the state.
In 2017, Academy of Magical Sciences, with the support of UNICEF and Kerala Social Security Mission established a permanent performance platform for the differently abled children. Named MPower Centre, it trains and develops their talents, while ensuring life skills to make them more self-aware and confident. It is for the first time in the world, a permanent magical performance centre has been opened for the differently abled talents.
Different Art Centre
Artiste Village is an exemplary housing project initiated and completed by Gopinath Muthukad for poor street magicians and homeless circus artistes. The houses in the Artiste Village are designed as friendly for the differently abled. A key objective of this project is to acknowledge the sacrifices made by these destitute artists, to provide them a satisfactory life, and to promote their exceptional talents among the coming generations without expecting anything in return.
Seeing that the efforts for skill development and better education for the differently-abled youth started producing positive results, Gopinath Muthukad could identify the substantial need for empowering them into income generating jobs. This became the sole reason for the evolution of a concept like Universal Empowerment Centre (UEC). The concept is first of its kind in India – probably even globally. The centre was opened in 2022.
An aspirational pursuit of Gopinath Muthukad. ‘Sammohan’ is more than a National Festival for the Differently Abled; it includes comprehensive events aimed at bringing the differently abled into the social mainstream. Nine national institutes under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment were also taking part in the festival, supported by the Union Ministry and the State’s Social Justice department. The prestigious national event was held on 25 Feb 2023.