If you have been following young Indian mentalist Suhani Shah — and if you haven’t, you should — then you are sure to have come across a recent video on her Instagram account, where she reveals the thoughts of none other than Padma Bhushan awardee singer Usha Uthup.
Is this magical video for real? Yes, it is, sort of.
We know Suhani is capable of making surreal things happen, having witnessed her in action and spoken to her in Kolkata during her 2023 Chamatkar tour. Now, with this recent video going viral, My Kolkata reached out to Suhani to know how she did it, and to Ushadi for her reaction to the experience.
Here’s what they had to say…
At a corporate event in Karjat in March, while Suhani was tricking people’s minds, singer Ushadi was having her “me time” backstage. “This is the me-time I need before any performance. I was thinking of my friend who was not keeping well but also putting the sadness out of my mind before my show,” said Ushadi.
When Suhani got off stage, she noticed Ushadi sitting on a chair. “I saw this lady in a beautifully draped sari, being the epitome of elegance and grace,” said Suhani, recalling the meeting. Maintaining artiste etiquette, Suhani was a bit apprehensive to approach Ushadi before her show but after receiving a compliment from the veteran singer on a shimmery, netted top that Suhani was wearing, the ice was broken.
The magic unfolds between Usha Uthup and Suhani Shah @thesuhanishah/Instagram
“When the conversation moved to what I do, I explained to her that I am a mentalist and how I don’t read minds but I bring that illusion,” recounted Suhani, adding that it was then that Ushadi asked her if she could read her mind.
Suhani’s team set up the cameras, and Ushadi was asked to think of the name of a person and imagine they were sitting in front of her. She was then asked to focus on each letter of the name one after the other while Suhani tried to read her mind. Then she was asked to repeat the same person’s name about three or four times. As the singer seemed to be calling out the name in her mind, Suhani suddenly revealed, “Roshan!”
Moments before and after the name reveal @thesuhanishah/Instagram
Usha Uthup’s immediate reaction caught on video — “Go to hell! I am not talking to you!” — is sure to make everyone chuckle. When My Kolkata asked Ushadi about it, she was still in disbelief over the experience, and revealed the story behind her thoughts that day. “I couldn’t believe it! How did she [Suhani] do it? My classmate Roshan is someone no one knows and I hadn’t spoken to anyone about her. She was unwell and her name was etched on my mind,” said Ushadi.
While the reel will impress you it will also give you a feeling of warmth as you see a Padma Bhushan awardee from Kolkata and a mentalist from Udaipur share such an intimate, heartfelt moment. While flabbergasted, Ushadi felt overwhelmed at the same time, and had lovely things to say about the young artiste. “What a sweet,warm little girl. She was too young to be serious. She is beautiful, well-spoken and lovely,” said the singer.
Post this interaction Ushadi and Suhani maintained contact and Suhani was also invited to attend a show of the singer in Mumbai. Suhani, on the other hand, couldn’t miss a chance of seeing Ushadi perform after their interaction. “I stayed back for ten minutes for her performance and I was taken aback. She created magic on-stage, on-spot. The way she told stories in between her songs, spoke a little about the trick I did… it was like storytelling,” said Suhani.
This is not the first time Suhani has left a celebrity mindblown with her unexplainable skills. Personalities like Salman Khan, Badshah, Marshmello, and R. Madhavan have also been bowled over by the mentalist. What sets this reel apart is the one million views it got within the first 24 hours of its upload and the messages and calls Suhani has been getting from followers who view Usha Uthup as a role model.
