Research Focus Group Talk: American Jadoo: Fakers, Fakirs, and Asian American Performing Artists

In this talk, Shreeyash Palshikar will analyze images of Indian magic in American popular culture. He will highlight the little-known stories and images of the first Indian magicians to perform in the United States and consider the American performers—black and white—who also donned Indian costumes, created Indian personae, and performed as Indian magicians from the golden age of magic in the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. The talk will begin with an introduction to magic in India, explore how Indian magicians came to the United States via the UK, and conclude with an analysis of Indian magic in the US. In his talk, Dr. Palshikar will draw on methods from cultural history, anthropology, political science, and religious studies.

Shreeyash Palshikar holds a PhD in South Asian Studies from the University of Chicago and has taught at Oxford, Yale, and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, as well as Albright College and the University of Pittsburgh. He is the first person to win a prestigious Fulbright Nehru Senior Research Fellowship to study traditional Indian magicians, and he is developing a book, web series, and live show based on his experiences.

Cosponsored by the IHC’s South Asian Religions and Cultures Research Focus Group