Page 44 - Seniorstoday June2023
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not cast an important character of Shakuni. Another tale of a desperate attempt to
He was already serving as the production act came in Bhagyashree’s father Vinjay
designer, casting director and an associate Singhrao Patwardhan directed film Dimple
director of the film when he reminded BR when he had to again kidnap the heroine in
Chopra that Shakuni had not been cast the film starring Rita Bhaduri and Satish
and that is when he was told that he was Kaul. It was in December when Gufi had
playing the said role and they had kept it a to enact another kidnap scene with the
secret because “Choprasaab felt that only heroine in a boat in a chilly evening at a
Gufi could play the role.” lake in Mahabaleshwar. The hero, who was
Gufi had given them a shortlist of three in another boat, rescued the girl and sank
actors, but Chopra was impressed by his his boat, now knowing that Gufi could not
role of Thomas Metcalfe in the project - The swim. After shouting “bachao bachao,” Gufi
Last Emperor: Bahadur Shah Zafar. “It was disappeared into the water. They realized
luck that I got the role on a silver platter,” his goofy act was for real when he didn’t
Gufi had mentioned. come up and then he was saved and the
Gufi’s slight limp as the scheming Shakuni water pumped out from his body. Only then
Mama is forever etched in our minds. did he reveal that he did not say that he
But his acting career was not that easy. My could not swim because he didn’t want to
first role was when he had to kidnap Leena lose the role!
Chandavarkar in the Atmaram film Qaid The same Shakuni Mama went to rock the
when Vinod Khanna and his friends thrash Pandavas’ boat in Mahabharat and etched
him and take away the heroine. Gufi went the character in Indian television history.
on to direct Vinod Khanna later in the TV Dr S Ramachandran is a veteran film
serial Maharana Pratap. journalist and filmmaker
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