Gufi Paintal dies at 79, co-star Puneet Issar recalls his valuable advice | Exclusive

The passing of Mahabharat actor Gufi Paintal has left people in disbelief and mourning. Social media has been flooded with expressions of grief from both his industry peers and fans. The 79-year-old actor had been hospitalised for some time, bravely battling age-related health issues.

The funeral, scheduled to take place in Andheri today, will be attended by his friends and family. Puneet Issar, en route to the funeral, in an exclusive chat with Republic Media Network, took a few moments to share his thoughts. Calling him a real ‘fighter’ he said that ‘unke safar ka waqt pura ho gaya’.

Words that Puneet Issar will never forget 

(When Shatrughan Sinha watched the play of Gufi Paintal with Puneet Issar | Image: Gufi Paintal/Instagram)

He further added, “He used to always tell me that ‘Never say no Puneet. Aap kaam karo apko fal zarur milega.’ I will always remember these words that he said to me. I have been fortunate to have such a long association with him.”

Paintal worked in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat in 1988 after which he became a household name. Apart from Issar he also shared a close bond with his other co-actor Nitish Bharadwaj who played the role of Krishna. He used to lovingly him ‘Gufiano’. 

Puneet Issar's enduring association with Gufi Paintal

(Gufi Paintal in Mahabharat as Shakuni Mama | Image: B.R. Films)

Actor Puneet Issar, who shared a long-standing association with Gufi Paintal, had collaborated on various projects with the late actor in a span of over three decades. In 2017, Issar took on the role of director and producer for the play Mahabharat: An Epic Tale, and Gufi Paintal readily agreed to be part of the production.

Reprising his role as ‘Shakuni Mama’, Paintal had been actively involved in more than 80 plays since 2018. However, due to his deteriorating health, he was unable to participate in the recent shows in Delhi. When Issar finally visited him in the ICU, Paintal was already in a coma.

Gufi Paintal's nephew, Hiten Paintal, informed PTI of his peaceful passing at 9 am this morning, revealing that his heart had given up. The actor had been undergoing observation in the hospital due to heart and blood pressure concerns.