A lot of celebrities are friends with businessmen in India. We have seen these actors or actresses be a part of these businessmen parties or family functions. One such person who was on good terms with a lot of celebs was Ratan Tata. Tata was known to have a good bond with several Bollywood stars. However, there was one actor in particular who was excellent friends with him. If you are wondering if the actor we are talking about is Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, or Simi Garewel, then you are wrong.
Mr. Ratan Tata was close with an actor and they often hung out together. This actor also used to share the room with the late businessman. So who is he exactly? Let’s find out.
To all our entertainment news readers, we would like to inform you that the actor is Gufi Panital. In the 1960s, Gufi and Ratan were pursuing engineering together in Jamshedpur and shared a hostel together. As reported by IndiaDotCom, the late actor once said, “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.”
Further, Gufi Panital revealed that Ratan Tata used to take him to picnics in his car and they had a good friendship. He was the only friend who was invited into Tata’s group for discussions. The late actor shared the businessman had a beautiful silver convertible Plymouth and he was glad to see a high-fidelity radio in the car back then. “We would listen to English and Hindi songs, and sometimes there would be Binaka Geetmala.”
Gufi Panital passed away in 2023 and reminisced about a wonderful encounter with the industrialist. The late actor stated that he was waiting to cross the Linking Road in Bandra when a large call pulled up beside him. He noticed two bags in the back seat and Ratan Tata was 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,” revealed Panital.
