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.
The incident occurred on Monday evening when Bedi was driving along the busy Sitladevi Temple Road in Andheri west and suddenly hit a local slumdweller, identified as a 39-year-old Rajesh Boudh.
England suffered a 157-run defeat by India to go 1-2 down ahead of Friday's fifth and final Test in Manchester. This is also India's first win at the Oval in 50 years.
As a video surfaced on social media which shows how Shehnaaz Gill, the rumoured girlfriend of late Sidharth Shukla, and her brother Shehbaaz are followed and pushed around as a crying Shehnaaz runs after Sidharth's hearse, actress Zareen Khan said such behaviour from the paparazzi is "heartless".
Soha debuted as an author in 2017 with "The Perils of Being Moderately Famous", a best-selling memoir published as a collection of essays by Penguin. This is the first time she is writing for young readers. This book also marks Kunal's debut as an author.
Sidharth was 40. He was the winner of Big Boss season 13 and also an actor in the TV series 'Balika Vadhu'. The actor passed away in Mumbai's Cooper Hospital after suffering a massive heart attack in the morning.
The filmmaker, who is seen as a judge in TV reality show 'Super Dancer Chapter 4' says that she has informed people around her to get tested. The filmmaker was shooting with co-judge Shilpa Shetty on Monday.
