Gufi Paintal Was Actually From Punjab. Did You Know?
The sudden news of passing away of legendary actor Gufi Paintal sent shockwaves in the entire country. The actor breathed his last today at a private hospital in Mumbai after facing age related issues.
However, his contribution to the Indian cinema will always be remembered for the wide range of works he has done.
Not many of you might be knowing that Sarabjeet Singh Paintal, popularly known as, Gufi Panital was born on October 04, 1944 into a Sikh family in Tarn Taran, Amritsar. His early years of life were spent in Sadar Bazaar, Delhi. He was initially trained as an engineer who followed his brother, Paintal (who is an alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India) into acting. Also Read : When The ‘Tragedy King’-Dilip Kumar Introduced Bhangra To Bollywood!
Finally, making his way to Bombay in 1969, he took up modelling, worked as an assistant director for movies and acted in various movies and serials. In fact, he also directed his brother.
He is well-remembered for his role as Shakuni Mama in B.R. Chopra’s adaptation of Mahabharat. His association with the character was so much that he presented a political discussion show on a news channel in the mythological character. Also Read : Did You Know Raj Kapoor Was All Set To Make A Punjabi Film ‘Ik Onkar’ But Couldn’t- Here’s Why?
Talking about his directorial, Paintal had directed the movie ‘Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’ which portrayed the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a 16th-century devotee of Krishna who is recognised as an incarnation of the god by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. The film was produced by Pawan Kumar with music by Ravindra Jain. In 2010 he was appointed head of facility at the Abbhinnay Acting Academy in Mumbai, a school established by his Mahabharata co-star Pankaj Dheer.
Apart from this, Paintal’s wide range of work also includes movies like ‘Raffoo Chakkar’, ‘Dillagi’, ‘Suhaag’ and many more.
It is heart-warming to see a boy from Punjab making it big in the tinsel town. You will always live through your work, sir. May his soul rest in peace.
