Approximately 100 Indians have already made their way to the Guinness Book and many, many more hope to find their way into it very soon. They, of course, do not include the likes of songstress Lata Mangeshkar (record holder in playback) and industrialist Vijaypath Singhania (for flying a micro aircraft from London to Mumbai), who did not have to apply.

"More than 20 per cent of applicants to the Guinness Book are from India," informs Vijay Ghose, editor of the Limca Book, who herself gets around 100 enquiries every month. "I can assure you, it is very hard work to get a listing in either of these books."

The obsession with records is so pervasive that its even found mention in novels like Manil Suri’s The Death of Vishnu and Ajay’s Singh’s Give ‘em Hell Hari. Indians even hold the world record for feats such as coining the longest domain name: www.halloffameinternationalincredibleuniquerecordsoutof336000.com.

"There is little joy in the average Indian’s life," observes Ghose, while explaining the reasons for going to such great lengths. "So they are given to escaping into a make-believe world to take their minds off grim reality. Besides, there can be no denying that getting into the record books instills a sense of pride."

Psychiatrist Harish Shetty believes that the all-pervasive sense of anonymity in urban India prompts people to stand up and be counted; "People feel the need to go off at a tangent and do something bizarre. You will find they are ordinary people, not achievers in their own field."

The same compulsions often turn people into law-breakers, such that something as sensational as a bank robbery or committing a high-profile murder would guarantee the desired 15 minutes of fame through the media. But then, not everybody has the courage to take the law in their own hands.

‘Groin kick’ achiever Nayak moved to Mumbai with a commerce degree from Cuttack, worked as an accountant in a private firm and soon got bored with life. He confesses to having tried his luck at different professions, so long as he got to be recognised and applauded for his worth.

"Then I saw the Guinness series on television and decided to try some stunts myself," narrates the sixth degree black belt holder. "It started as a dream. Very soon, after achieving some feats, it became a passion and addiction. I am 36 now. I will continue to try and break records until I am at least 50."

After extensive research, Nayak has identified 10 Guinness feats he can better. Apart from the 43 ‘hook kicks’ in the groin, delivered by four martial arts experts, he can execute 819 push-ups in an hour and is now set upon breaking two records in a single day; one mile forward rolling in less than 19 minutes and one-minute palm push-ups.

Another person who takes the record book seriously is Guinness Rishi. Born Harprakash Rishi, he holds the world record for the longest scooter ride (1001 hours), besides other credits like having the smallest land holding and the longest pizza delivery. — MF