Gufi Paintal

Gufi Paintal Biography

Gufi Paintal is a successful television and film actor. His best known appearance is for Doordarshan serial Mahabharata, where he played the role of Shakuni, the uncle. Gufi as well as the serial makers regard this role as the best work of this talented actor. His brother Kanwarjit Paintal and his nephew Hiten Paintal are also actors. Gufi Paintal has also appeared in a few Bollywood movies of 1980’s. He is an engineer by profession.

Gufi and his younger brother had been trained at the Film and Television Institute of India in acting category. He arrived at Mumbai in 1969 and took modelling as his career. Later he became assistant director of a few movies and it paved way to his acting career too. More than movies, he was quite successful in television serials. Alif Laila, Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein and Maharana Pratap are a few more. His noted films include Dillagi and Des pardes, both released in the year 1978.

Gufi became so popular nationwide with his single role, Shakuni. Played by Gufi Paintal, Shakuni mama emerged as a legendary figure renowned for his cunning nature and smart tactics. His role became so popular that Paintal presented a political discussion show on the news channel Sahara Samay in the character of Shakuni. He has also offered the same role in television serial, Dwarkadheesh: Bhagwan Shree Krishna.

Most recently Gufi has turned a director. He directed the movie, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which sketches the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a 16th century devotee of Krishna. Music was given by Ravindra Jain, after a long period. Now he is the head of facility at the Abbhinnay Acting Academy in Mumbai, a school established by Pankaj Dheer (Karna of Mahabharata). In 2013, September he has entered the serial Maharana Pratap as Mughal Emperor Humayun.

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Updated: January 17, 2014