Get Captivated

THE
mENTALIST
Winner of SABC’s reality show Zoned TV, Dundee’s Haroon Sader is set to captivate the
nation once again with his plans to win SA Got Talent later this year. Rachel Thomas
chatted to the razor blade swallowing, mind-reading mastermind to find out more

H
aroon is Northern KZN’s
leading mentalist/
hypnotist/ illusionist, call
him what you will... but
don’t call him a magician. As he says,
“Magicians have a bad name. I don’t pull
rabbits out of hats and I don’t confess to
having supernatural powers. With artists
such as David Blaine and Derren Brown,
the art of stage magic has come a long
way. What the audience sees is just
an illusion.” Through clever language,
‘sleight of hand’ movements and
clever card tricks, Haroon will
make you believe that he “At the age of fifteen, I managed to figure
has performed ‘magic’ or
has read your mind. That out David Blaine’s trick, ‘The Two Card Monte’
performances, walking up to
unsuspecting pedestrians and
performing card tricks; hypnotising
people, making them forget their
name; and reading people’s minds.
This is exactly how world-renowned
illusionist David Blaine, one of Sader’s
idols, started out his career and Haroon
aims to follow a similar path. If you
are unfamiliar with Blaine, high-profile
stunts of his have included shipping
a glacier over from Alaska and being
“I’m not a copycat. People don’t want to my watch to 12 midday and asks me his first guess - with one of them hiding giving other contestants tips on how
see what has already been done before. to close my eyes and turn the watch’s in a Chicken Lickin store! How did he to progress in the competition. Haroon
I’ve spent a long time looking at how crown until I feel the need to stop. When do this? As the saying goes, ‘A magician says, “It’s all about clever language.”
people like Blaine and Derren Brown I stop, I look never reveals his secrets’. In his spare time, Haroon studies
create their stunts and have worked out down at the watch face. It reads 12.40. Throughout his time on Zoned TV, he psychology and researches scientific
the theories behind them. From that, I I open up the piece of paper in front of was given much guidance and advice studies on how the mind works, studies
learn and create my own show.” me and find my jaw dropping; as inked on his performances, as well as tips on body language and studies on
Growing up, Haroon wanted to on the paper is the time 12.40. on how to shoot a video and how to mentalism, liaising online with others
become a scientist, more specifically a Haroon’s talent has recently been engage with the audience. Haroon soon within his profession. “For example, lie
geneticist. He was intrigued with ‘how recognised on a national level, as he learnt that the public wanted to watch detection is a very interesting subject.
things worked’ from the human body was announced winner of SABC’s reality someone they could relate to. In the Something that comes in very handy
to a car engine. “I’d lock myself in a TV show, ‘Zoned TV’. The 26-episode past, Haroon admits people may have for my card tricks. If you want to know if
room so that I could work out show encourages young people to seen him as ‘different’ from the rest of someone is telling the truth, you would
how to unpick the lock. It was
when I was fifteen years old
capture interesting images and video
footage about themselves using their
society. He wore his hair long and went
through a phase of wearing black from
assume the person would look you
directly in the eye. This is not the case.
that I watched David Blaine phones and sharing it with viewers head to toe with chunky boots. The Instead, people generally look up and
on TV for the first time. countrywide. The uploaded material producer taught him to be more ‘self to the left - the ‘honest’ or ‘logical’ side
Text: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Photographer: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

is why he is an expert in
his field. People always ask
him how he does each trick, but if
and from then on, I was hooked.”
he reveals his secrets, he’ll be out of
a job. Haroon believes people are too
gullible these days, believing everything
they see. “What I do is purely for
entertainment. I’m honest with people.
There are too many people out there
who will make money from people,
claiming they can take away curses
and black magic. That’s not what I’m all
about. I want people walking away with
smiles on their faces.”
As well as hosting stage shows,
Haroon also partakes in street
‘frozen alive’ for over 63 hours, as well
as surviving 44 days suspended 9
metres in the air in a transparent case
in London. In this time, he survived
without any food or nutrients, simply
surviving on 4.5 litres of water per
day. Even though Haroon has also
demonstrated stunts that have involved
pushing the boundaries of the human
body, such as sleeping on broken glass
or swallowing razor blades, he prefers
to create illusions through psychology.
After hours of practicing, I is viewed on the Internet and the aware’. With a completely new wardrobe of their brain. If the person looks up and
managed to figure out his
trick, ‘The Two Card Monte’ and from
five best stories, as voted for by the
public, make it into the televised show.
and cropped hairstyle, today Haroon
looks like a different man, and family
to the right, the creative side, you’re in
trouble as they are conjuring up a good
then on, I was hooked.” Having qualified through each stage and friends are all happy with story!”
During our interview, I was shown over the 26 weeks, Haroon was given a the transformation! 2013 is looking to be a very exciting
some of his tricks first hand. I was modern smart phone to shoot his street On the final live performance, Haroon time for Haroon. As well as his stint as
left dumbfounded as he unclasped performances. certainly wowed audiences. Looking ambassador on Zoned TV, he will be
the watch from my wrist and took Tricks that got him noticed (and straight into the camera, he confidently competing in the hit show ‘SA’s Got
out a piece of paper from his leather therefore gave him enough votes to go told viewers, ‘I could just hypnotise you Talent’. According to The Mentalist
wallet (Haroon admits he leaves a through to the next round) included to vote for me right now... but I won’t.’ himself, he confidently says, “I already
mess wherever he goes as he’s always one entitled, ‘Hide and Seek’. Standing The nation reacted, questioning ‘Did he know I’m going to win.” So will Haroon
scribbling on credit card sized scraps in front of an audience in Dundee Town just do it?’ ‘Am I hypnotised?’, causing a ‘mess’ with the judges’ minds and
of paper!). He looks at me quizzically Centre, Haroon asked four volunteers to stir, which resulted in Haroon walking hypnotise them into voting him through
and then scribbles something down on hide anywhere they wanted in Dundee. away with first prize. Since, he has even to the finals? We’ll have to wait and see.
the paper in black marker pen, folds it Without any stooges or tracking been invited back onto the second
up and places it on the table. He sets devices, Haroon found each of them on series, later this year, as an ambassador:

06 Get It Northern KZN March 2013 March 2013 Get It Northern KZN 05