Dance dance: Rupendu Das displays a step or two. Picture by Eastern Projections

June 17: Hindi film songs blaring from a stereo, Rupendu Das dances as though in a trance.

Ten hours a day he practises hip hop interrupted only by sips of water and prays that his feet don’t give away on the Big Day.

The Big Day is July 21, when Das, a self-trained dancer from Silchar, will jive for 40 hours at a stretch on a Guwahati stage to make it to the eastern India dance records.

“I have come to Guwahati to create history. I had started with a 24-hour dance performance at Gandhi Bhawan in Silchar on September 21 last year. Next was a 28-hour dance show in Karimganj on December 31. The latest was for 32 hours at Gandhi Bhawan in Silchar. The love and honour that I have received from the people has boosted my morale and confidence and egged me on to create a record,” he told the media today.

And the 40-hour programme is just a stepping stone for this 33-year-old.

The dancer claimed that by performing 40 hours non-stop he would become the first man in the entire eastern region to achieve such a feat. “But I will not stop there. My aim is to break the all-India record of 48 hours. In August, I will dance for 50 hours in this very city,” he said.

Though doctors have advised Das to increase the duration of the performance by four hours at every show, he has decided to increase it by eight hours at his July 21 show.

“Willpower will help me perform. Even though summer will be at its peak in July, it will not affect my performance. I can perform better in summer than winter,” he said.

For the time being, Das is concentrating on his practice sessions to keep his body more fit and flexible for D-Day. “I have a lot of water and fruits to keep myself fit and healthy. During the performance, I drink fruit juice and munch on chocolates.”

Ask him where he got the idea of the marathon dance performance and Das says: “From childhood I wanted to do something exceptional. Coming from a small place called Meherpur in Cachar district, I discovered my dancing ability only after crossing 25. But for me, age cannot be a hindrance when it comes to dance,” he said.

Das will approach the Kamrup metro district administration to arrange for a suitable venue for the July 21 show. He hopes he gets to perform at a venue like Rabindra Bhawan. “The Cachar district administration has already begun corresponding with the Kamrup metro administration to ensure that Das’s show is a success in the city,” an official in the metro administration said.

Till then, it’s 10 hours of practice, lots of fruits and chocolates for Das.