Popularly known as Sarabjeet Singh Paintal, veteran actor Gufi Paintal passes away due to age-related health issues in a hospital in Mumbai. The man was not only an actor but also a casting director. While the man was part of a myriad of movies and TV shows, he is most remembered for his iconic role of Shakuni Mama in the Mahabharat adaptation by B.R. Chopra and Ravi Chopra. Gufi Paintal himself recognized the role of Shakuni Mama as his best role. The sad demise is a shock for many. Let's know the late actor better.
Gufi Paintal- Personal Life
Gufi Paintal was born on October 4, 1944. He pursued engineering but somehow stepped into the world of acting like his younger brother. When he arrived in Bombay in the year 1969, the man started his career in modeling. He then also started working as an assistant director for a few movies. He also began acting in multiple movies and T.V. serials. In one of his projects, Gufi Paintal also directed his brother.
| Name: | Gufi Paintal |
| Real Name (If any): | Sarabjeet Paintal |
| Date of Birth: | October 4, 1944 |
| Place of Birth: | Delhi |
| Date of Death: | June 5, 2023 |
| Cause of Death: | Age-related health issues |
| Place of Death: | Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital, Andheri, Mumbai |
| Age (at the time of demise): | 78 years, 8 months |
| Hometown: | Lahore, Pakistan |
| Nationality: | India |
| School: | DPS International School, Delhi |
| Educational Qualification: | Engineering Graduate |
| Hobbies: | Travelling, reading |
| Profession: | Actor, Director, Casting Director |
| Popularly known for: | His role as Shakuni in Indian television series Mahabharat |
| Religion: | Sikhism |
| Marital Status: | Widower |
| Spouse: | Rekha (passed away in the year 1993) |
| Children: | Harry Paintal (Son) Profession: Actor |
| Parents: | Gurucharan Paintal (Father) |
| Siblings: | Kanwarjit Paintal (Brother) |
Table 1: Gufi Paintal- Personal Life
Gufi Paintal- Career
Gufi Paintal's career is best recalled for his iconic play of the character Shakuni Mama in the popular Mahabharat adaptation by B.R. Chopra and Ravi Chopra. Not only for his fans, but the role of Shakuni Mama was the best in his lifetime for Gufi Paintal himself. The character got immensely famous, so much so that he got the opportunity to present a show based on political discussions in the character of Shakuni Mama on the Sahara Samay news channel.
His career as a director is also worth talking about. The movie Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was directed by Gufi Paintal. The producer of the film was Pawan Kumar and the music was given by Ravindra Jain.
The movie revolves around the life of a 16-th century Krishna devotee, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is further seen as an incarnation of the Almighty by Gaudiya Vaishnavism followers.
In the year 2010, Gufi Paintal was selected as the Abbhinnay Acting Academy's head of the facility. Abbhinnay Acting Academy is an acting school set by Pankaj Dheer (Gufi Paintal's Mahabharata co-star), in Mumbai.
Gufi Paintal- Movies
Actor Gufi Paintal made his debut in the world of movies with Rafoo Chakkar, a film released in 1975. In the movie, he played the character of Salim. Next, he worked in the 1978 movie Dillagi as the character of Ganesh. The last film of the actor was Samrat & Co. released in the year 2014. In Samrat & Co., the actor played the role of Dinesh Das, also known as DD Family Lawyer. Here's a list of the movies done by the actor.
| Films | Year | Character Played |
| Rafoo Chakkar | 1975 | Salim |
| Dillagi | 1978 | Ganesh |
| Des Pardes | 1978 | - |
| Suhaag | 1994 | Maternal Uncle of Akshay Kumar |
| Maidan-E-Jung | 1995 | Mamaji |
| Daava | 1997 | Mangal Singh |
| The Revenge: Geeta Mera Naam | 2000 | - |
| Ghoom | 2006 | Boss of Vijay Dikshit |
| Mahabharat Aur Barbareek | 2013 | Shakuni |
| Samrat & Co. | 2014 | Dinesh Das |
Table 2: Films by Gufi Paintal
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Gufi Paintal- T.V Shows
Gufi Paintal was not known as a phenomenal actor for the silver screen but was also a well-known actor in the television industry. He stepped into the world of television with the serial Bahadur Shah Zafar on DD National. However, the highlight of his television career was the character of Shakuni played by him in the popular show Mahabharat. The actor was not only an important character in the show but was also its casting director. His last T.V. show was Jay Kaniya Lal Ki, on Star Bharat, where he played the role of Vishwakarma.
| T.V. Serial | Role Played | Year | T.V. Channel |
| Bahadur Shah Zafar | - | 1986 | DD National |
| Mahabharat | Shakuni. He also worked in the T.V. show as the casting director | 1988-1990 | DD National |
| Kanoon | Justice Raghunath | 1988-1990 | DD Metro |
| Sauda | - | 1992 | DD National |
| Om Namah Shivay | Shakuni | 1997-2001 | DD National |
| Akbar Birbal | Mulla Do Pyaza | 1998-1999 | DD National |
| CID | Chander | 2001 | Sony TV |
| Ssshhhh. Koi Hai | Dr. Jarkos | 2002 | Star Plus |
| The Magic Make-Up Box | Brithari | 2003 | Zee TV |
| Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishn | Shakuni | 2011- 2012 | Imagine TV |
| Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein | Brijbhushan Bhalla | 2012- 2013 | Zee TV |
| Bharat Ka Veer Putra- Maharana Pratap | Humayun | 2013 | Sony TV |
| Karmaphal Data Shani | Vishwakarma | 2016-2018 | Colors TV |
| Karn Sangini | Kripacharya | 2018 | Star Plus |
| Radha-Krishn | Vishwakarma | 2019-2023 | Star Bharat |
| Jay Kaniya Lal Ki | Vishwakarma | 2021-2022 | Star Bharat |
Table 3: Television Series by Gufi Paintal
Gufi Paintwal passed away at Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital, Andheri, Mumbai, on June 5, 2023, due to health issues at the age of 78.
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