Ratan Tata is often celebrated as one of the most humble and kind-hearted individuals the world has ever known. Renowned for his remarkable contributions to both business and society his legacy is not only about his business but also his deep love for individuals from all walks of life. From being a brilliant mentor and showing unwavering kindness to street animals to building bonds with celebrities his approach to life was full of humility. While he shared a great bond with iconic celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan Rajesh Khanna and Simi Grewal there was one actor who had a truly close and lasting friendship with the industrialist. He is Gufi Paintal. The Friendship Dates Back To The 60s The lesser-known bond between Gufi Paintal and Ratan Tata dates back to the 1960s. Reportedly the two met while pursuing engineering in Jamshedpur. In fact the duo stayed together in the same hostel with Ratan Tata occupying Room No. 21. At that time Ratan Tata had just returned from his training in the United States and was a few years senior to Gufi Paintal. The late actor fondly recalled his memories and said “Ratan Tata was a thorough gentleman even back then. Coming from such a respected family he has now become the chief of Tata Group of Companies and I feel proud as an Indian and as his friend.” Interestingly Gufi Paintal was the only friend who was invited into Ratan Tata’s inner circle for discussions. Ratan Tata & Gufi Paintals Picnics Gufi Paintal also shared stories of how Ratan Tata would often take him on picnics in his stylish silver convertible Plymouth. The two friends would drive around listening to both English and Hindi songs on the car’s high-fidelity radio. Sometimes they even used to listen to the famous music program at that time named Binaca Geetmala. About Gufi Paintal Born in 1944 he was first trained as an engineer and later he joined the Indian Army during the Sino-Indian War in 1962. While stationed on the border he performed in a folk play of Ramleela as Sita. In 1969 he moved to Bombay where his younger brother was pursuing a career in acting. Gufi Paintal worked as a model assistant director and actor in films and serials with his most iconic role being Shakuni Mama in Mahabharat (1988). He passed away on June 5 2023 at the age of 78 in Mumbai.