PROF. SHANKAR (S/o Shimaladka Sham Bhatta), was born on May 5,1951. He did his graduation in Psychology from the University of Mysore.
He is a 'self taught magician' hailing from Karnataka State, India. He was the first person to start magic in his district of Dakshina Kannada. He gave his first public performance in 1965 at the age of 14.
He performed the catching of hot bullet fired by a gun in 1965 by which he became popular as The Bullet Proof Magician.
Shankar now performs grand illusion shows with a troupe of 20 members all over India & abroad.
He has already staged over 8000 shows all over India, the Middle East, USA, U.K. Germany, Switzerland, Mauritius and Srilanka.
He is the promoter of magic & magicians, trains youngsters to encourage self-employment and also designs various kinds of magic to suit the occasion.
He performs magic shows for patients in the hospitals to help them recover faster. Among such performances are the ones at the Bronx Lebanon Psychic Hospital - NY USA, Gangaram Hospital - New Delhi, Unity Health Complex - Mangalore, Kasturba Hospital - Manipal and hospitals in the northern part of Karnataka. He also performs magic in old age homes and for the enhancement of education in schools and colleges.
In 1995, to create awareness against drugs and AIDS, he drove motor bike from Mangalore to Karwar blind folded.
He joined the Syndicate Bank and worked (1974 - 2001) as an INDUSTRIAL MAGICIAN- a designation that is considered as the first in the world and Syndicate Bank is the first bank in India to employ a magician to publicise its schemes through magic. He opted Voluntary retirement from the service on May 31 2001.
He is the recipient of The Life Time Achievement Award from Syndicate Bank and The National Award - Ugadi Puraskar 2000 from the Madras Telugu Academy.
Prof. Shankar is the recipient of "The Order of Merlin" (2000) from the International Brotherhood of Magicians (USA) for his service in the field of Magic.
Prof Shankar married Lakshmi in the year 1976 and is blessed with two children, son - Tejaswi (Shankar Junior) and daughter - Yashaswini.
SHANKAR JUNIOR (Tejaswi), son of Prof Shankar & Lakshmi, was born on 29 July 1978. He graduated in Business Management in 1999 and did his post graduation in Computer Applications.
He developed interest in magic at the early age of 2 ½ years & gave his first solo performance in 1982 at the age of 4 at Manipal, Karnataka.
He participated in the Society of Americans Magicians' Convention at Houston in 1982 where he was conferred the title "The Youngest Magician of the World". His name was also suggested to the Guiness Book of World Records in the category 'Achievements in the Young Age' by Magician Doug Henning, USA.
Shankar Junior has performed more than 5000 shows all over India, USA, UAE, Bahrain, Muscat, U. K, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Kuwait and Mauritius. At the tender age of 4, he performed 25 shows in USA including the one at Madison Avenue, New York for a gathering of over 25,000 people.
He has won the first place in all the contests he took part in India since 1986 in both close up and stage categories.
Shankar Junior won the Special Award of the Jury for the best performance of close up magic in the 18th Federation of International Society of Magicians' Convention held in Switzerland in 1991. He is the first Indian to take part in an international magicians' competition and to win an award competing with seniors.
His works on the Prof Vazhakunnam's Traditional Indian Cups & Balls has earned vast recognition in the world of Magic.
He is also the first Indian magician to have performed and delivered a lecture on Indian Magic in 1996 at Leewarden, Netherlands.
Shankar Junior and his sister Yashaswini are the first Indians to perform in the youth show on the 70th Annual Convention of International Brotherhood of Magicians at Los Angeles, USA (98).
He performed more than 15 shows in Germany (1999) which included special performances on the preaching from the Bible.
He was selected to represent India at the Federation of International Societies of Magicians Convention held at The Hague in 2003
Shankar Junior is the recipient of The National Award - Ugadi Puraskar from the Madras Telugu Academy (1991) and was one among the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of India Awardees (2002).
He married Maithili in the year 2004 and is blessed with a son.
The "Magic Family" of Prof. Shankar turned long-time friendship with
the "Music Family" of Moorthy Deraje into relationship with the marriage of his children Tejaswi with Maithili and Yashaswini with Bharavi Deraje.
Moorthy Deraje and his sons - Bharavi & Panini are part of Gili GIli Magic's background score.
Varchasvi and Neeharika are the grandchildren.