MUMBAI: Shridhar Chillal from Pune, who held the world record for longest nails, has done away with his ‘assets’. His nails will find a place at a museum in the US. Born in 1938, Chillal began growing nails on his left hand in 1952 after a teacher beat him up for breaking his nail.
After about 64 years, when he had grown his nails to a total length of 909.6 cm (9.1 m), Chillal’s name found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for having ‘Longest Fingernails on a Single Hand Ever’ in 2016.
Chillal’s longest nail alone measured 197.8 cm.
The octogenarian had requested that his nails be kept in a museum, and the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum in Times Square responded. But, the nails that brought him fame came with its own set of problems. The world record holder suffered several difficulties due to the extraordinarily long nails that he had grown over the years. Apart from difficulties in finding a job and also in finding a wife, he had to follow several precautions in day-to-day routines.
However, these difficulties are now a thing of past for Shridhar Chillal. The Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum in Times Square hosted a “nail clipping ceremony” on Wednesday where Chillal’s nails were cut and preserved for an exhibition. The Museum specially flew him from Pune.
“Ripley’s is privileged to display this truly unique and one-of-a-kind exhibit. Mr Chillal dedicated his life to something truly remarkable and Ripley’s is the perfect home to honour his legacy,” said Suzanne Smagala-Potts, PR Manager, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
The Ripley exhibit collection represents over 95 years of collecting by Robert Ripley and his corporate heirs.
Flipside of fame
Due to years of growing his nails, Chillal’s left hand is handicapped. He cannot open his hand from a closed position or flex his fingers.
(With agency inputs)