Arun Bhatt Sir…He was an institution in himself. A director par excellence, he looked into every aspect of filmmaking with utmost detail. Be it the story, screenplay, music, dialogues, sets or the technical side of it.

It was my good fortune to have worked under his direction as a child actor and then as a lead actor. My first film with him was Jugal Jodi. I must have been around ten years old then. On my first day of shoot, he told me stories and asked me riddles and in no time, I was so comfortable in his company. In a very friendly manner, he then told me what I had to do in front of the camera and I soaked in all that he said and performed so effortlessly. Arun Bhatt Sir was so good at explaining the scenes to his actors that it was impossible for them to falter. He could make anyone act with his directorial skills!

After Jugal Jodi, I got an opportunity to work with him again in Lakhtarni Laadi Ne Vilaayat No Var as a lead ‘hero’. I remember he would demonstrate the smallest of nuances in acting and extracted a performance from me that did justice to a director like him!

Not only did he guide me as to how a boy who’s come from abroad should behave but also taught the two leading ladies of the film what posture they should stand in! From where to pause while delivering the dialogue to how one should walk – every little detail…he never missed a thing while directing us.

Arun Bhatt Sir…We miss him. The Gujarati film industry misses him. This is a tribute to him from the whole Kanodia family – my father Naresh Kanodia, uncle Mahesh Bapa, brother Suraj Kanodia and my wife Mona Thiba. I’m sure he is looking at us from wherever he is.

Arun Bhatt Sir’s love for his craft was unmatchable and hope his blessings continue to shower on the Gujarati film industry.