'Mahabharat' Fame Actor Gufi Paintal Passes Away at the Age of 79

MUMBAI: Actor Gufi Paintal passed away on Monday at a hospital in this city as a result of age-related concerns, according to his nephew Hiten Paintal. Paintal was most known for his role as "Shakuni mama" in the acclaimed TV series "Mahabharat."

At a hospital in the suburban Andheri area, the veteran actor was admitted and undergoing treatment.

The actor was reportedly in severe condition when he was hospitalised on May 31. He was reportedly receiving care for kidney and heart-related conditions. Heart failure caused the actor's death.

Following his passing on social media, the actor's family issued a statement. "With profound grief, we announce the sad demise of our father Mr Gufi Paintal (Shakuni Mama). He passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by family. You will always be in our hearts."

"He had blood pressure and heart issues. He was keeping unwell and all this was going on for a while. Things got severe now so we got him to the hospital for observation. He has been in the hospital for seven to eight days. He was critical initially, but right now he is stable," Hiten had told to the media.

Gufi Paintal, whose real name was Sarabjeet Gufi Paintal, was the older brother of comedian and actor Kanwarjit Paintal. In the 1980s, he transitioned from being an engineer to becoming an actor. He was always committed to his heritage, having been born into a Sikh family. In the beginning of his career, in 1969, he worked as a model and even as an assistant director for a few films. The renowned actor gained notoriety for portraying Shakuni in BR Chopra's Mahabharat. Fans adored his on-screen persona, and as Shakuni, he even hosted a political talk programme.

Rafoo Chakkar was a 1975 movie in which Gufi played the part of Salim. Following that, he had other cinematic appearances; some of his best-known roles were in Suhaag, Maidan-E-Jung, Ghoom, Mahabharat Aur Barbareek, and other films. He has made a big impact in the TV sector in addition to movies. He made an appearance in the 1986 episode of the DD National programme Bahadur Shah Zafar. Then, from 1988 to 1990, he participated in the production of Mahabharat, which was also broadcast on DD National, as both a casting director and an actor. Among the films he has directed are Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

He began his career as a casting director before moving on to work in films and numerous TV series. In addition to appearing in television series like CID, Ssshhhh...Koi Hai, Akbar Birbal, Kanoon, and Hello Inspector, Paintal is known for his portrayal of the cunning uncle Shakuni in BR Chopra's Mahabharat.

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