Mumbai, Oct 10 (IANS): Indian actor and casting director Gufi Paintal, who was famous for playing Shakuni in the famous television series "Mahabharata” shared a close bond with Ratan Tata. In one of the videos on his Youtube channel Gufi Panital had spoken at length about their bond.

In the video, Gufi talked about the late 1960s when he was studying engineering in Jamshedpur. He recalls, “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.”

Gufi remembered the small moments that made their friendship special. He shared “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.”

He also shared a moment of Linking Road in Bandra, reads, “I remember a day when I was waiting to cross Linking Road in Bandra. A big car pulled up, and I noticed two large dogs in the back. It was Ratan Tata returning home. He stopped and asked can I drop you, but said, "No, Ratan, thank you so much. I'm crossing the road; my car is on the other side." It was a brief encounter, but it left a lasting impression on me.”

Ratan Tata was born in 1937 and took over the Tata Group in 1991. He expands his group in multiple sectors including steel, automobiles, and IT. He received awards “Padma Bhushan” and “Padma Vibhusan”.