Meet the Kulkarnis: India's tallest family with a combined height of 26ft hope to set a new world record

Family is so tall they never use public transport and ride scooters instead

Sharad Kulkarni, 52, is 7ft 1.5ins tall and his wife Sanjot, 46, is 6ft 2.6ins tall

Their daughters are both over 6ft and want to be models

The Kulkarnis from Pune tower above their countrymen. Sharad Kulkarni, 52, who works in the State Bank of India, stands 7ft 1.5in tall; his wife Sanjot, 46, is 6ft 2.6in and their daughters, Mruga, 22, and Sanya, 16, are 6ft 4in and 6ft 1in tall respectively.



Their combined height is a staggering 26ft, almost. India's tallest family is likely to set a new Guinness record for being the world's tallest.



Mr and Mrs Kulkarni were crowned India's tallest couple by the Limca Book of Records a year after they married in 1988.

The Kulkarni family can only ride scooters and wears custom made clothes and shoes

While the recognition did make them feel good, it came after both faced years of teasing and ridicule as they grew up. 'In three years of college life, I was all alone.

'I didn't have any friends because I was so tall. It was only after I started getting publicity that people began interacting with me,' Sharad said. When he hit 7ft as a teenager, he ploughed his energies into sports and ended up playing basketball for the country.

But Sanjot struggled to fit in her native village. The pair began to accept early on in their teens that marriage might be difficult.

'I was a basketball player and travelled the length and breadth of India for tournaments. But I was never able to find a girl who came close to my height.



The Kulkarni family: Sharad (right) and his wife Sanjot (second left) and their daughters Sanya (left) and Mruga (right) stand a combined 26ft tall

The tallest I found was around 5ft 10 in. I had even decided not to marry and was planning to adopt a child. But, as chance would have it, one of Sanjot's relatives saw me,' Sharad said.



It was actually Sanjot's grandmother who spotted him walking down a street in Mumbai one evening and approached him. Sharad said: 'This lady came up to me and asked if I was single and if I would meet her granddaughter who was over 6ft tall. I didn't believe her and refused, but my friends persuaded me to take her number.'



A few weeks later, Sharad's parents called the number and a meeting was arranged for the couple. 'When I met Sanjot, I was happy. And I knew we would be happy together,' Sharad said. But he added that even now, the family faced problems, albeit of a different kind.

They can't use public transport such as trains and buses, and even four-wheelers are a nono because Sharad can't accommodate his knees inside.



Walking tall: Mruga (second from right) and her sister Sanya (right) tower above their friends

On the move: Mr Kulkarni travels around on a scooter because he is too tall to use public transport comfortably

The family prefers scooters for road travel and when flying is necessary, they ask for a front seat or the emergency exit row. Being tall also means the four have to cope with people staring and talking behind their backs.

'It doesn't bother me and Sanjot anymore but our daughters get perturbed,' Sharad said. The Kulkarnis have wardrobes full of custom-made clothes and shoes.



And their house has been adapted to meet their needs - they changed the door frames from 6ft to 8ft high and have customised the furniture. Mruga and Sanya plan to put their height to good use and are thinking of foraying in modelling.

'We love being tall. I hear girls moan every day about their short height but we're so content. We are studying right now but are also trying to build a portfolio.

'We hope our height will help us get a long career as models,' Mruga said, adding that 'husbands are a long way away yet'.



The Guinness Book of Records does not currently have a tallest family category, but would consider it

India's tallest couple: Mr Kulkarni stands at 7ft 1.5in and his wife Sanjot at 6ft 2.6in

Both Sanya and Mruga want to be models and hope that their height could give them a huge advantage in the industry



