‘Chilli girl’ Anandita makes it to Shabash India

By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Aug 2 –

When, as a five-year-old, she used some mild chilli preparations to cure a disorder of the tongue, little did she know that it would one day catapult her to fame and stardom. Anandita Dutta Tamuly’s claim to fame rests on this rather scary knack of relishing red-hot chillis in their dozens – the very thought of which is enough to make most of us go weak on our knees. Her love affair with chillis is not just confined to munching mouthfuls of Naga/Bhoot jalakia – the hottest known variety – but also smearing her eyes with its juice. Just back from the shooting of Zee TV’s Shabash India, which features extraordinary and bizarre feats by Indians, Anandita, a mother of a toddler, gave ample demonstration of her remarkable exploits before a jam-packed audience at the Swahid Nyas Bhavan today. She finished some 40 chillis in no time at all – and without the least indication of any discomfort. And followed it up by applying some more to her eyes, drawing a thunderous applause from the wide-eyed onlookers. For the Shabash India episode, which is scheduled for telecast at 10-30 pm on August 29, Anandita gobbled up a record-shattering 60 red-hot chillis in just a couple of minutes besides applying another dozen to her eyes in one minute. “The support and encouragement from my family, friends and well-wishers apart, I am thankful to the people of the State for giving me the motivation to take part in the programme and establish the record,” a modest Anandita said. Her next goal is the Guinness record, the ultimate aspiration of all record-setters. “After we had contacted the Guinness authorities, they asked me to give a demonstration of my abilities in the Guinness headquarters in London. However, financial constraints have affected my plan to perform there, as the whole exercise involves substantial expenditures. But with the blessings of the people and support from committed organisations, I do hope to set a mark at Guinness in the near future,” Anandita said. On her uncanny appetite for chillis, Anandita said that it began when she took some preparations made of chill to cure a sore on the tongue. “I was about five or six then, and after that incident I developed this unusual taste for eating chillis. Gradually I realized that I could eat even the hottest of chillis in great numbers,” she said.Did this practice ever affect her health, particularly her digestive system? “No, rather I can say that I have never experienced any stomach-related problems, and my overall health, too, is quite sound,” Anandita said. Before the demonstration, Anandita was accorded a warm felicitation by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Marwari Yuva Manch. Also present were a number of distinguished citizens including musician Ramen Baruah, veteran sports organiser Pulin Das and Khanindra Das, a leader of the Assam agitation besides Pankaj Tamuly, Anandita’s husband. Lauding her, AASU adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya said Anandita was doing her motherland proud by her extraordinary feat. “The AASU will always be with her so that she can bring more glory for the State and the country,” he said.Anandita may very well become the first person from the State to etch her name in the famed Guinness Book of World Records, provided she gets the necessary support. People feel that the State Government and various social organizations should lend a helping hand to this young achiever in realizing her ultimate goal.