This magician and mind reader from Rajasthan in India has 3.6m followers on YouTube, all keen to find out how exactly she can guess someone’s bank balance and PIN, their first crush’s name, or their favourite song. 

The 33-year-old explains that it all began when she was six, after she’d been captivated by a TV magic show. She followed her mum into the kitchen where she was making chapatis and used the dough to cover her eyes. Under a blindfold, she guessed what her dad was writing on a slate. ‘To their amazement, I was able to correctly identify and rewrite the exact same content; even something in a regional language, Gujarati, despite being not yet proficient in reading and writing.’
After building up from birthday parties and school shows to performing on Indian Idol and giving several TED Talks, Shah now performs her magic tricks and illusions around the world. Although she says audiences tend to be most impressed by her illusion of mind reading, she insists it’s all about how she stages the tricks.
‘I strongly believe the most unbelievable aspect of my magic performances lies not in a specific trick but in the artistry of its performance. It’s not about the mechanics of making a coin disappear or unveiling secrets; it’s the storytelling, narration and presentation that elevates the experience from a mere trick to an enchanting moment.’ 
Onstage she’s been known to make water spontaneously pour from her hands or cards disappear from sight; offstage she is a corporate trainer and clinical hypnotherapist with her own clinic in Goa. Sleight of hand, telepathy, basic psychology, body language, a supernatural gift . . . soon Edinburgh audiences can make their own minds up about where this mentalist’s powers really come from.
Suhani Shah: Spellbound, Underbelly Bristo Square, 2–27 August, 5.25pm.