Watch World's Longest Fingernails Get Chopped For NYC Exhibit

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Shridhar Chillal said he's a "free bird" after trekking from his hometown of Pune, India to New York City to finally take a clipper to his world-record-setting fingernails.

"I will always remember that I don't have my nails now," Chillal said through his granddaughter and interpreter Shraddha Chillal. "I am not used to living like normal people, not like a normal man, but I am trying to adjust to live like a normal man, like a free young man."

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Chillal, 82, decided in 1952 that he would not cut the fingernails on his left hand, but in his old age keeping his fingernails intact presented too many challenges, he told Patch.

Every day he would have to put his nails into a special bag to keep them together and would need help from his family members for basic tasks. Living with the world's longest fingernails also took a physical toll on Chillal, who cannot open his left hand from a closed position and said he feels pain in his wrist, elbow, shoulder and all five fingers on his left arm.

The man said he started to grow his fingernails out when he was scolded by a teacher who told him he had never committed to anything, and he took that as a challenge.

The nails — which are longer than 31 feet combined — were unveiled Wednesday at the "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" museum in Times Square. It was Chillal's wish that his fingernails be donated to a museum after being cut off.

"I was a little bit scared that my celebrity favor would go now, but today after coming here I realize that after this I have become a real celebrity," Chillal said through an interpreter. "Now, forever my nails will be remembered and forever my nails will be seen by people from all over the world."

In order to host Chillal's nails Ripley's flew him from his home in India to see a doctor in New York City. At first, Chillal thought the cutting would be "easy" and attempted to use a manual clipper to cut the nails, but soon found it wouldn't work. The doctor had to use a hand-held power grinder to successfully chop the nails off.

The whole process took about 15 to 20 minutes, during which Chillal said he was remembering "his whole lifetime." He described the cutting as one of the most difficult moments of his life.

"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 honor his legacy," Suzanne Smagala-Potts, a spokeswoman for Ripley's, said in a statement.

Chillal lives in Pune, India with his wife, two children and three grandchildren. Despite his long nails, he lived a successful life as a press photographer for the Indian government.

Check out the full video of Chillal getting his nails cut:

Lead photo by Brendan Krisel/Patch