In a tragic news to Hindi TV and cinema fans, veteran actor Gufi Paintal passed away on June 5. He was 78. The actor, mostly popularly known for playing the cunning Shakuni mama in BR Chopra's epic Mahabharat series, was admitted in the hospital for the last few days for age-related medical issues. It was his nephew, actor Hiten Paintal (son of his younger brother Paintal, also actor), who informed the sad news of his uncle's demise on Insta. Gufi Paintal Dies at 78; Veteran Actor Was Most Popular for Playing Shakuni in Mahabharat.

Gufi Paintal was born in a Sikh family in Amritsar, Punjab, India. He initially trained as an engineer, but later decided to pursue a career in acting, being saif that he followed the footsteps of his younger brother, who had already established himself as a popular comic actor in films like Jawani Diwani, Rafoo Chakkar, Satte Pe Satta among others.

Gufi Paintal moved to Mumbai in 1969 and started his career as a model. He then worked as an assistant director for movies and acted in various movies and serials.

Hiten Paintal's Post on His Uncle's Demise:

Hiten Paintal's Insta Post (Photo Credits: Instagram)

Paintal's most well-known role is that of Mama Shakuni in the Mahabharat adaptation by BR Chopra and his son Ravi Chopra. He played the role of Shakuni with such finesse and panache that he became synonymous with the character. Shakuni was a cunning and manipulative character who was instrumental in the Pandavas' downfall, and was one of the major villains of the show.

Interestingly his younger brother, Paintal, also had a small but iconic role in the series, playing the character of Shikandi during the Great War sequences. Ray Stevenson Dies at 58; Actor Was Popular for Roles in Punisher-War Zone, Thor, RRR and More.

Some of the other popular roles of the actor were in films like Dillagi, Des Pardes, Suhaag, the animated film Mahabharat Aur Barbareek (where he reprised his role of Shakuni) and Samrat & Co. He was also seen in series such as Om Namah Shivaay (again seen as Shakuni),  Ssshhhh...Koi Hai, CID among others. May his soul rest in peace.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 05, 2023 12:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).