My association with the Bhatts began during the making of my very first film, “Goonjh Uthi Shehnai” in which I was a child actor. Arun Bhatt was an assistant to Vijay Bhatt then.

It was during Arun Bhatt’s home production “Vardaan” that I worked under his direction for the first time. He was one of most decent and soft-spoken directors that I have worked with. He always spoke very politely to one and all – whether actors or unit members.

Years later, Arunbhai offered me to play the lead role in a Gujarati film. I didn’t know the language and was apprehensive in the beginning but when he heard me speak a dialogue in Gujarati, he was confident that I could carry it off. Thus, I landed as the leading lady opposite Asrani is the film “Pankhi No Maalo” – my first Gujarati film.

It was a pleasure to be directed by him as he would enact scenes himself and show exactly what he wanted out of the actor. Therefore, it was very easy to follow him. He was a director of great caliber!

Thereafter I worked in other films under his direction like “Odhu To Odhu Taari Chundadi” and “Ghar Gharni Vaat”. I had played a very interesting role in his home production “Tejal Garasni”,  a story about a Rajput girl who dresses as a man to avenge the murder of her brothers. “Ghar Gharni Vaat”, I had a comic role. There was a hilarious ‘Aarti of Heroines’ that Arunbhai had penned and it had me dressed up as everyone from Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman to Smita Patil! Arunbhai had a great sense of humour.

He was a director who made Gujarati films “look better” – just like Hindi films. Arun Bhatt will always be remembered for his art in the history of Gujarati cinema.

As told to Pauravi Bhatt on 19th September 2020.