To coincide with his 86th birth anniversary on 26th September, producer-director Arun Bhatt’s daughter, Pauravi, will launch a website, www.arunbhatt.com, chronicling his work and achievements. Arun Bhatt deserves his stature as a stalwart of the Gujarati film industry because he strove hard to give it respectability. When he entered the Gujarati film industry, everyone was still making folk stories that were meant for a predominantly rural audience.
With films like Mota Gharni Vahu, Parki Thapan and Lohini Sagai, Arun Bhatt introduced the genre of social films that were set in an urban background. For the first time in many years, Gujarati films made under his banner were released in prime movie cinema halls in major metros of Gujarat. They were also released in movie theatres in Bombay and London. His films attracted a more educated and sophisticated family audience while also appealing to the rural audience.
Arun Bhatt introduced Asrani as a lead in Gujarati films and together they gave a string of hit films. He also gave a platform to talented actors like Jayshree T., Feroz Irani, Arvind Rathod, J.D. Majethia, Sushma Verma and Ajit Vachhani. His movies were known for their strong screenplays, emotional content and melodious music. He had a long association with music director Avinash Vyas and his son, Gaurang Vyas. He got veteran singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar to sing for his films, and his songs are popular to this date. He introduced Prafull Dave as a playback singer and also got Alka Yagnik to sing for his film very early in her career. He had immense knowledge and flair for hit music. As a young man, he dreamed of becoming a music director, but then got interested in film direction. His dream of composing music has been realised by his son, Chirantan Bhatt, who is a music composer for Hindi and Telugu films.
Bhatt is credited with breaking away from the genre of folk stories with poor production values and introducing modern, progressive films with superior production values, that were until then only associated with Hindi films. He brought in seasoned technicians, introduced skilled actors, and the result showed in the finesse with which he presented his films on the big screen. His films were appreciated by critics and masses alike and this is his biggest achievement.