Ritvik Upadhyay On Why Live Magic And Live Entertainment Are Here To Stay In The Age Of AI

When a new AI breakthrough surfaces every other day, it forces creatives to pause and ask a very obvious question: where do humans fit in now? Some are learning to work alongside the digital landscape. Others are rethinking what originality even means anymore.

In this churn, the live performances sit slightly outside this anxiety. Ritvik Upadhyay, an international illusionist better known as The Honest Magician, opens up on why live magic and entertainment continue to remain relevant in this AI-oriented world. “Magicians are trained to expect change,” he says. “Innovation isn’t optional in this industry. If you stop evolving, your work will ultimately become a YouTube tutorial, and you will fade into the background. Staying relevant means constantly creating, adapting to the world around you, and weaving in current technology and culture, much like a stand-up comedian. That’s how you keep the sense of wonder alive and truly connect with people.” That instinct, he believes, is exactly why such creative niches still matter.

Ritvik has performed across 20 countries and for audiences that range from private celebrations for the Ambani family and Bollywood celebrities to leading technology and AI-driven companies such as Google, Mastercard, Microsoft, Pinelabs, and more. Yet despite the scale and stature of these rooms, he notices something consistent. “People may be more analytical today, especially in tech environments. They try harder to figure out how it’s done. But the reaction, the wonder, that hasn’t changed at all,” shares Ritvik. Finding Magic, Finding His Voice Ritvik’s journey into magic wasn’t a smooth ride. He started with science, later moved to commerce, and admits that neither felt right. Magic was something he picked up in his early teens from TV shows and performed for his grandmother. His turning point was when he didn’t make it through 11th grade. “As a teenager, repeating a year felt like the end of the world,” he says. “I stopped socialising. Magic became my lifejacket.”

For years, he practised in private, with the idea of a magician still limited to birthday parties and top hats. The entire narrative changed when he won the Bombay Times Fresh Face talent category, where his art was recognised publicly for the first time. Within no time, his work travelled through word-of-mouth. From performing on the streets of Mumbai at Marine Drive and Carter Road to restaurants, private gatherings, corporate events, weddings, and cruise lines, his audience grew organically. Naturally introverted Ritvik credits magic with becoming his entry point into communication. Why AI Hasn’t Replaced the Stage When television first came into the picture, many believed it would flatten live spectacle entirely. The greats like David Copperfield shifted the entire story. He used the medium to expand magic’s reach while keeping its emotional core alive.

There’s a famous line by science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” In many ways, AI fits right there today. Impressive, powerful, and often astonishing. But for Ritvik, the difference lies in what comes after the amazement. Ritvik sees AI in a similar light: “I don’t see it as a threat at all. It’s a tool that helps me organise thoughts and structure my work better. But what it has not mastered yet is emotional intelligence.”

People gather around magic shows, stand-up comedy, concerts, and theatre, not just for entertainment but to share a moment. Ritvik’s performances reflect this shift. He focuses on refined, close-up illusions that feel intimate and high-impact, blending mentalism with storytelling. As The Honest Magician, humour comes naturally to him. He might steal your watch or wallet, but he returns it (most of the time!) “The trick isn’t about fooling people, but connecting with them,” he adds. One such moment stayed with him during a Caribbean cruise performance. During a stopover in St. Kitts, a few casual tricks sparked a conversation with a stranger who spoke about losing his brother. He was still grieving, but kept repeating, “You just made my day.” The magic didn’t change his loss, but it shifted his moment, and that stayed with Ritvik long after the show ended. Stories like these continue to keep the magic of human interactions alive. Ritvik comments, “As Dead Poets Society reminds us, medicine, law, and engineering are necessary, but art is what we stay alive for. Technology can help us scale, optimise, and move faster. But it can’t replace the human need for connection. Live art exists to fulfil that, and that’s why it will always stay relevant.” AI will evolve, assist, and promise change, but human presence was and always will be the very operating system of society.