Hellraiser: Meet India's Needle Man

Like a real-life version of 'Pinhead' from British horror classic Hellraiser, Bhupen is able to insert up to 550 surgical needles into his face at any one time without flinching. 

The human pin-cushion's exploits have earned him a place in the India Book of Records - and he is now dreaming of one day holding the world record. 

The 38-year-old, from Hajo in Assam, northeast India, said: "At first the thought of performing this stunt scared me, but now it doesn’t.

"In the beginning I didn’t insert so many needles, only 50-100 every time I performed, but now I can do way more."

The medical-grade needles pierce almost every inch of Bhupen's face, including his lips, nostrils, cheeks and eyelids. 

Bhupen says his life was changed when a professional stuntman visited his high school - and he immediately resolved to follow in his footsteps. 

"A stuntman used to come there regularly to perform and one particular stunt caught my attention where the stuntman used to lift guys while walking on broken glass," he said. 

As if skewering his face with needles wasn't enough, Bhupen also has an array of other lethal stunts in his repertoire - including pouring melting wax on to his eyes, tongue and body while standing barefoot on a needle board. 

But while Bhupen's bizarre stunts have earned him a huge fan following, life at the sharp end of showbusiness isn't a lucrative as Bhupen would have hoped. 

His father, Sambhuram Das, is now urging him to give up his act and get a regular job - and find a wife. 

Sambhuram said: "I asked my son to discontinue such activities and find another job. I also tell him to get married and start his life afresh.

"I have never dared to see his act.  Whenever my son performs in Rash Lila [an Indian festival], I am afraid of such activity as it might cause him harm and I cannot sleep the whole night."

But despite his father's concerns, Bhupen has no plans to give up his masochistic stunts any time soon. 

"A lot of people praise me for my courage, but many people get scared as well," he said.

"There have been times when people would go numb while seeing me doing what I do.

"My friends and family are scared that I might hurt myself, but they are proud of me.

"Sometimes I think of quitting, but my main aim is a Guinness World Record. Only once I've achieved that will I allow myself to stop.

"I want to make my society and my country proud. The only feeling I have is to perform better, give it my best shot and insert as many needles as possible in front of my supporters."