Ashwini Bhatt's novels brought youths back to fiction

Ashwini Bhatt, one of the best known novelists of the Gujarati language, died in the US on Monday. He was 76. Bhatt is survived by his wife and son Neel. Bhatt was born and brought up in Ahmedabad but he migrated to Dallas (US) about 10 years back. He was one of the most widely read authors of Gujarati and was particularly popular among youth in Mumbai, Gujarat and abroad. His famous works include Aakhet; Angaar; Ashkamandal; Katibandh; Othaar, Karamat; and Fainslo.

“Bhatt’s novels belong to a genre of their own. They are such that they made Gujarati youths return to reading fiction during the 1990s,” said Rajendra Patel, chief secretary, Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. Patel further said that Bhatt’s fiction gives readers a vivid feel of character and place and virtually transports them to another world.

Bhatt’s popularity never declined and he was among the major novelists of the language for the last 30 years. Sarup Dhruv, a major poetess of the Gujarati language, said that Bhatt’s novels are a rare blend of history, research and fiction. “His works helped merge the worlds of classical and popular literature,” she said.
Ashwini Bhatt wrote more than 12 novels which were first serialized in periodicals and leading newspapers from the 1980s to this day.

Gujarati poet Ankit Trivedi said that Bhatt was one of the most widely sold and loved novelists of Gujarati. “His novels are lengthy; yet they are read with deep interest by the young and old alike. His works dispelled the myth that Gujarati language books do not sell and that long novels are not popular,” Trivedi said.

Bhatt’s contribution to Gujarati literature is unique and unparalleled. Tushar Shukla, a poet, said that Bhatt’s novels contain such vivid and lifelike narration of situation, character, and place that they establish an instant connection with readers. “Bhatt’s ability to sustain reader’s interest is unmatched in Gujarati literature,” Shukla said.