Sarabjeet Paintal, better known as Gufi Paintal, was an Indian actor, director, and casting director. He was best known for his role as Shakuni in the Indian epic television series Mahabharata. He died on June 5, 2023 in Mumbai at the age of 78.
Wiki/Biography
Guffey Pantar was born on Wednesday, October 4, 1944 (78 years old at the time of his death) in Delhi. His star sign is Libra. His family is from Lahore, Pakistan. He went to school at DPS International School in Delhi. Pantar’s father was a photographer and he and his brother Kanwarjit used to perform small shadow plays as children. The world of entertainment always fascinated him. However, his father wanted him to become an engineer. So after completing his schooling, Guffey started studying engineering. After graduation, he joined Tata Engineering and Locomotives in Jamshedpur, Bihar. During the Defence Emergency due to the China War, Guffey served in the army in Bihar for a few years. Later, he was transferred to the Tata Engineering and Locomotives branch in Bombay (now Mumbai). By then, his brother Kanwarjit had already made his mark. Guffey decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps and enter the entertainment industry. He initially joined as an assistant director.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 6″
Hair color: Gray
Eye Color: Brown
Family and caste
Gufi Paintal was born into a Sikh family. His father, Gurucharan Paintal, is a veteran photographer in Lahore. Not much is known about his mother. His younger brother, Kanwarjit Paintal, is an actor and comedian.
Gufi Paintal’s brother Kanwarjit Paintal
He and his wife Rekha died of a heart attack in 1993. They had a son, Hari Pantal, who is now an actor.
Guffey Panital with his wife and son
His nephew Hiten Paintal is an actor.
Goofy Payenthal’s nephew Tobita Payenthal
Profession
Guffey Pantal started his career as an assistant director at the age of 24. Slowly, he started getting roles. He made his screen debut in 1978 as ‘Ganesh’ in the romantic comedy ‘Dillagi’. Next, he acted in the Bollywood film ‘Des Pardes’. He then joined BR Films as a technical executive. He used to head the advertising department. It was then that he played the role of ‘Shakuni’ in the Indian epic TV series ‘Mahabharata’. Guffey gained popularity for playing the role of ‘Shakuni’. He then played the role of ‘Justice Raghunath’ in the crime drama ‘Kanoon’.
Guffey Petal plays Shakuni in Mahabharata
He acted in many Bollywood films like Suhaag, Maidan-E-Jung, Revenge: Geeta Mela Naam, Kaalo, Mahabharat Aur Barbareek and Samrat & Co. Paintal also appeared in television shows like Akbar Birbal, Ssshhhh..Koi Hai and Karn Sangini.
The last movie
His last film release was Samrat & Co. (2014) in which he played the role of Dinesh Das aka DD, a family lawyer.
Last TV Show
His last television show was Star Bharat TV’s Jay Kaniya lal Ki (2021-22), in which he played the role of Vishwakarma.
die
On June 5, 2023, he died of age-related health problems after undergoing treatment for a few days at the Bellevue Multi-Speciality Hospital in Andheli, Mumbai.
Facts/Trivia
- His hobbies include reading and traveling.
- Initially, Guffey joined the TV series Mahabharata as an assistant director but later he was roped in to play the role of ‘Shakuni’ in the show.
- Paintal had played the role of ‘Shakuni’ in ‘Mahabharata’ and was paid Rs 3,000 per episode.
- While serving in the Indian Army, Guffey and his companions often performed Ramlila on the border to entertain everyone. During that time, he often played the role of Sita.
- In an interview, Guffey revealed that the first salary he got was Rs 7,000 per month, which he earned while working as an engineer at Tata.
- In 2010, Paintail was appointed as the director of the Abbhinnay School of Acting in Mumbai.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education