Could it be that the popular fairground machines, immortalised in the film 'Big' were based on a real person?
Swami Kaladhar Subhash was a renowned fakir and fortune teller on the streets of Jaipur in the early 1900s. It was said he could know the innermost thoughts and desires of a man by simply by touching his forehead.
A rare photograph of Kaladhar Subhash.
Through his profound knowledge of Vedic astrology, Kaladhar Subhash was thought to be able to tell the entire history and destiny of those who came to him for advice. Those who saw him described him as gentle and softly spoken, and said he lived by the mantra: "Do not impose your opinions; better express your wisdom".
In the 1920s, a struggling English magician, John Pimm, took to the stage in London's West End, performing illusions and "question answering" in the character of 'Kaladar'. It is believed he was inspired by tales of the Swami he had heard from his mother - who had been profoundly affected by meeting the great man while living in India. The show became very successful and toured the world, even enjoying a short run on Broadway.
John Pimm, performing as 'Kaladar'.
In the 1950s, an American fairground and Wild West sideshow operator named James Graham created the first 'Kadar' machine, inspired by bill posters he had seen of Pimm's Broadway show. He later re-branded the machines as 'Zoltar' when they entered mass production in the early 1960s, believing the 'Z' to be a more appealing letter than 'K'.
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