Gufi Paintal best known for playing 'Shakuni Mama' in television serial 'Mahabharat' passes away
Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 Jun, 2023 12:55 PM
Veteran actor Raza Murad, who has been friends with late actor Gufi Paintal, fondly remembered his life and on-screen presence.
Known for playing Shakuni Mama in the epic television serial 'Mahabharat', Gufi Paintal passed away due to prolonged illness in Mumbai on Monday.
His body has been moved from the hospital to his home, where Raza Muard was among the first to reach and be around to help the family.
Talking to the media about his friend, Raza Murad said: "I was friends with him for 50 years. Filmmaker Rahul Ravail made the movie 'Gunhegaar'. I was the actor in the film and Gufi was assistant director. In those days he was remembered for being Paintal Saab's brother." He was referring to Kanwaljeet Paintal, the popular comedian and better known of the two brothers.
Remembering his friend, Raza Murad said: "There was another movie, 'Laila Majnu', where he was handling the production. For years, he was a struggling actor and artiste, but he was hardworking and he wasn't getting a clear direction.
"He had always wanted to be an actor, so he started working for BR Films [helmed by B.R. Chopra], where he became an assistant director, and then landed the role of Shakuni Mama. It was not merely a character, it was history.
Raza Murad added: "'Mahabharat' was a milestone in the history of Indian television. The streets would be empty when the serial used to be aired. His character of Shakuni mama is a memorable and iconic role. It was written in golden words.
"I remember watching the play 'Mahabharat' recently in Delhi. When Gufi entered, the entire crowd went crazy. It felt like some rock star had entered an arena. People still remember his character, but fate had something in mind.
"People do 100-200 films and still can't create an identity for themselves. Gufi did it with just one character. He didn't just create an identity for himself with his nuances. He is not among us anymore, he left us today, but his character will live forever."
Gufi Paintal was hospitalised for more than a week due to age-related heart and kidney issues. He was in a critical condition at Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital in Andheri, Mumbai. His condition didn't stabilise and he passed away on June 5.
Gufi Paintal's talent was not just limited to acting; he also worked as a television director. Apart from 'Mahabharat', which aired in the late 1980s, he acted in popular Bollywood films such as 'Rafoo Chakkar', 'Des Pardes', 'Dillagi', 'Maidan-E-Jung' and 'Daava', among others.
'Phone Bhoot' has been directed by Gurmmeet Singh, who is known for his work on the crime-drama streaming show 'Mirzapur'. The film, written by Ravi Shankaran and Jasvinder Singh Bath, will also mark Kartina's first film after her marriage with Vicky Kaushal.
To make it look close to reality, Mukul dressed himself like him and in fact he copied his way of walking and his facial expression also. After looking at his performance, Badshah praised him and compared him with famous Pakistani rapper Talha Anjum.
The actress underwent a number of tests in the hospital on Monday evening. The report added that Deepika is feeling better now. No statement on her health condition has come from her team.
She is also the second woman after Asha Bhosle to get the award since the dawn of the 2000s. Ironically, despite the limited representation of women in the roster of awardees, Devika Rani was the first to get it in 1969. The other lucky women were Ruby Myers (Sulochana) in 1973, Kanan Devi (1976), Durga Khote (1983) and Lata Mangeshkar (1989). Asha Bhosle got the award in 2000.
Wearing the black robe, she tried to dodge the media, who were present in huge numbers outside the court. She moved a regular bail application before the court. The court has now fixed October 22 as the next date of hearing. On this date, the court will hear the arguments on her regular bail plea.
Actress Madhuri Dixit Nene, who is gearing up for her streaming movie 'Maja Ma', recently spoke about the changes that she has witnessed in the recent years about how the Hindi film industry which is otherwise known as Bollywood has changed over the course of time.
