Not Amitabh Bachchan or Simi Garewal but this Mahabharat actor was Ratan Tata's closest friend

Ratan Naval Tata, the beloved industrialist and philanthropist passed away on 9th October at the age of 86. While the iconic personality shared a great bond with film stars, his closest friend among them was Gufi Panital, who was the late Gufi Paintal known for portraying the character of Shakuni in Mahabharat.

In one of the YouTube videos, Gufi spoke about the special bond recalling the late 1960s when he was pursuing his engineering studies in Jamshedpur and shared a hostel with Ratan Tata.

“At that time, Ratan Tata had just returned from his training in the United States and was a few years older than me. He used to stay in Room No. 21 and was a very thorough gentleman. Coming from such a respected family, he is now the chief of Tata Group of Companies, and I feel proud as an Indian and a friend,” said Paintal.

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Recalling the little moments that defined their friendship, he added, “He used to take us on picnics in his car, and we shared a close friendship. I was the only student he invited to his room for discussions. In the early 1960s, he had a beautiful silver convertible Plymouth, and it was remarkable to see a high-fidelity radio in a car back then. We would listen to English and Hindi songs, and sometimes there would be Binaka Geetmala.”

Paintal, who passed away in 2023, shared one of the best encounters with Tata in Mumbai and said, “I was waiting to cross Linking Road in Bandra when a large car pulled up beside me. I noticed two big dogs in the back seat—it was Ratan Tata heading home. He kindly offered me a ride, but I replied, ‘No, Ratan, thank you so much. I’m just crossing the road; my car is on the other side.’ It was a fleeting moment, but it left a lasting impression on me.”