When My Different Worlds Met in Las Vegas

Magic, filmmaking and technology have shared space in my life for years. Explaining that combination can take a little time. Depending on where we meet, you may know me as a technology professional, a man with a camera, or someone asking you to think of something during a performance.

I understand why those can seem like different lives. To me, they have always belonged to the same curious person.

That is what made August 7, 2025, in Las Vegas meaningful. At The Orleans, I received the International Magicians Society's Merlin Award in the category Most Magical Techie & Filmmaker. The wording brought those parts of my life together in a very public way.

The story behind it had a connection I particularly value: The Park Bench.

I had made and acted in the film, which Gopinath Muthukad released. Tony Hassini happened to watch it. That opened a conversation about my work beyond any single project: filmmaking, magic and mentalism, and the technology background that influences the way I create. Following discussions and a review of my work, Tony and the IMS board decided on the recognition.

I found that connection especially satisfying. A film can reach someone long after the work of making it is over. In this case, it helped someone see a relationship between interests I had been following for years.

When I work with a camera, I think about what a viewer notices and what an image makes them feel. When I create mentalism, I think about attention, expectation and how a moment becomes meaningful to the people taking part. Technology brings another habit: looking at a problem, trying an idea and improving it. Those ways of thinking keep meeting in my work.

The recognition gave me a reason to pause and appreciate that connection. I had followed these interests because they mattered to me. Having them acknowledged together was something I could feel proud of.

Las Vegas also belonged to the people who had helped me reach that point. My family has made room for the time and attention that creative work asks of me. Friends and community organisations have given me stages, encouragement and practical support. Teachers and relatives helped my interest in magic grow long before there was a film or an international trip to discuss.

It is easy to put the name of one person beside an award. I know how many people belong behind mine.

I am grateful to Tony Hassini and the IMS for the recognition, and to Muthukad sir for his place in this story. I am also grateful for The Park Bench and the people who helped make it. I could not have predicted all the places that film would take the conversation about my work.

What I want to carry forward from Las Vegas is the confidence to keep developing this combination. There is still much I want to learn, make and share. I enjoy being a person whose next idea might begin with a camera, a piece of technology or a moment of magic. That experience gave me a special reason to appreciate all three.