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Gufi Paintal Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth4 October 1944

Age78 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceDelhi, British India

ProfessionActor, Film Director, Casting Director

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidower

SpouseRekha (d. 1993)

FamilySon - Harry Paintal; Father - Gurucharan Paintal; Brother - Kanwarjit Paintal

Gufi Paintal Biography

Gufi Paintal (born Sarabjeet Paintal) was an Indian actor, casting director and filmmaker best known for his portrayal of Shakuni in B.R. Chopra’s TV epic,

Early life and background

Sarabjeet Paintal, widely known by his nickname Gufi, was born on 4 October 1944 in Delhi, then part of British India. He grew up in a family that originally hailed from Lahore; his father, Gurucharan Paintal, worked as a cameraman and ran a small studio in Delhi. Paintal completed an engineering degree and initially pursued a technical career, joining Tata Engineering & Locomotive in Jamshedpur. During a period of national defence emergency, he served in the Indian Army in Bihar before being transferred back to Tata’s Bombay branch.

Career

Paintal’s introduction to the film and television world came with assistance from his brother, Kanwarjit Paintal, who had already established himself in the entertainment industry. Gufi began working behind the scenes as an assistant director and later took on character roles in films and television.

His screen debut came in 1978 with the film Dillagi, in which he played the role of Ganesh. He continued to appear in supporting parts in a number of feature films. In 1988 he joined B. R. Films as a technical head overseeing the advertising division. While working there he was cast by B.R. Chopra in the television adaptation of the Indian epic Mahabharat. Paintal’s performance as Shakuni made him widely recognizable and remains the role he is most closely associated with.

Beyond Mahabharat, Paintal acted in the crime series Kanoon as Justice Raghunath and featured in films including Suhaag, Maidan-E-Jung, The Revenge: Geeta Mera Naam, Kaalo, Mahabharat Aur Barbareek and Samrat & Co., in which he appeared as Dinesh Das (DD), the family lawyer. His filmography extended into later years, with Samrat & Co. noted as his last film credit from 2014. On television he continued to work, with one of his final known TV roles being Vishwakarma in Jay Kaniya lal Ki (2021–22) on Star Bharat.

Public profile

Paintal’s portrayal of Shakuni brought him significant public recognition. He has spoken in interviews about early interests in performance dating back to childhood and to staging shadow plays with his brother. During his time in the army he and colleagues would enact scenes from Ramleela, and Paintal recalled playing the role of Sita in those informal performances.

Paintal’s background combined technical training and practical industry experience; his first professional salary was as an engineer at Tata, and during Mahabharat he received a per-episode fee that has been reported in contemporary accounts. In 2010 he was appointed head of Mumbai’s Abbhinnay Acting Academy, a post reflecting his ongoing involvement in training and mentoring performers.

Personal life

Gufi Paintal married Rekha; she predeceased him in 1993. The couple had one son, Harry Paintal, who is also an actor. Paintal’s family included his father, Gurucharan Paintal, and his brother Kanwarjit Paintal, an actor and comedian. He practiced Sikhism and listed reading and travelling among his interests.

Later years and death

In June 2023 Paintal was admitted to a Mumbai hospital with chronic health issues affecting his heart and kidneys. He died on 5 June 2023 at Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital in Andheri, Mumbai, at the age of 78. Reports cited age-related health complications as contributing factors to his passing.

Latest updates

At the time of his death Paintal’s final film credit remained Samrat & Co. (2014) and his last television work was Jay Kaniya lal Ki (2021–22). He had also served as head of an acting academy in Mumbai, continuing engagement with the performing arts community into his later years.
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Recent Work

Samrat & Co.

Played Dinesh Das (DD), the family lawyer (Last film credit, 2014)

2014
Jay Kaniya lal Ki

Played Vishwakarma on Star Bharat (2021-22)

2021-2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Began career as an assistant director and character actor after working in engineering and at Tata Engineering & Locomotive
  2. Cast as Shakuni in B.R. Chopra’s television series Mahabharat, the role that defined his public profile
  3. Worked as technical head of B. R. Films’ advertising division
  4. Head of Mumbai’s Abbhinnay Acting Academy in 2010
  5. Acted in films including Dillagi, Suhaag, Maidan-E-Jung, The Revenge: Geeta Mera Naam, Kaalo, Mahabharat Aur Barbareek and Samrat & Co.
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Gufi Paintal born?

4 October 1944

What is Gufi Paintal known for?

Actor, Film Director, Casting Director

What is Gufi Paintal’s marital status?

Widower

Who is Gufi Paintal married to?

Rekha (d. 1993)