
Chanchal Lahiri went by the stage name Mandrake
Indian magician feared dead in Houdini-style river stunt

Mandrake, whose real name is Chanchal Lahiri, was lowered into the West Bengali river with his legs and arms tightly tied up in ropes and chains. He was to begin freeing himself once he got below the surface of the water and swim to shore, but the 40-year-old stuntman never resurfaced, to the horror of the watching crowd.