Gufi Paintal aka Mahabharat's Shakuni Mama passes away at the age of 79

Veteran actor Gufi Paintal, known for his spectacular performance as Shakuni Mama in the cult famous TV show Mahabharat which was created by BR Chopra, has passed away. He was 79 years of age. His family released an official statement that said, “With profound grief, we announce the sad demise of our father Mr Gufi Paintal (Shakuni Mama). He passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by family.”

Gufi Paintal’s nephew Hiten Paintal said, “He passed away today around 9 am. He had heart failure. He was 79 years old.” The actor was battling health issues for a long time and was admitted to the hospital after his condition had worsened on May 31, 2023.

The late actor was a man of many talents. Apart from being an actor par extraordinaire, he was also a director who created many TV shows along with a film called Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was also associated with BR Films, the makers of Mahabharat as an associate director, casting director, and production designer. Gufi Paintal’s brother Paintal is also a popular comedian and actor who has been part of movies like Satte Pe Satta, Rafoo Chakkar, and Parichay.

Talking about Gufi Paintal, he was part of popular films like Dillagi (1978), Des Pardes (1978), Daava (1997), and Samrat & Co (2014). He was also seen in the film 1994 film Suhaag opposite Akshay Kumar. Apart from Mahabharat which had made him a household name, he was also seen in other TV shows like Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap, Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein, Karmaphal Daata Shani, and Karn Sangini opposite Tejasswi Prakash. His last work included the TV show Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki. He is now survived by his brother Paintal and his son Harry Paintal. His wife Rekha Paintal had passed away on 1993 due to a heart attack.