Arun Bhatt was a very fine man and a popular film director of Gujarat. I have worked with many directors in my career as a playback singer but no one had as much knowledge of music as Arun Bhatt had. 

Professionally, we first met at Shri Avinash Vyas’s home where Gaurangbhai had taken me. It was there that I sang my first song as a playback singer – “Maniyaaro te halu halu” from “Lakho Phulani” which Arun Bhatt was directing. It was Arun Bhatt who approved this song for the film.

Due to some circumstances, Arun Bhatt couldn’t do the film but thereafter, I sang for his film “Verno Vaaras”. It was a Bhajan by Das Morar – “Maaru chitdu choraay, maaru mandu heraay re”. There is an interesting story to this. The set to shoot this song was ready in the studio but it so happened that when Avinashbhai called me for its recording, I was in Kolkata for a show and excused myself. Avinashbhai asked Arun Bhatt to make someone else sing the song but Arun Bhatt was adamant that he wanted only me to sing it as he thought no one else would do it justice!
He waited for me and so did the the set in the studio for the shoot to happen!

Arun Bhatt was so correct in his prediction, for this song went on to be included in the personal collection of the revered Bhajan singer Shri Narayan Swami! Such was Arun Bhatt’s sense of music! I sang many songs for his films later. He had an innate knowledge of both, folk and commercial music. He was the son of Vijay Bhatt who made films like Goonjh Uthi Shehnai and Himalay Ki Godmein. So talent was in his genes!

He had tremendous knowledge of folk literature and if you heard him talk, you would feel you are listening to some literary researcher! He had a terrific vision and gave us films that were so well made in those days. He possessed an expertise in all the departments of filmmaking – be it music, lyrics, dance, acting…He was a storehouse of talent he’ll always remain one of the people I’ll fondly remember.