Samwaterman2016 at 05:22, 14 February 2026

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{{Short description|Gujarati writer (1931–2019)}}
{{Cleanup translation|Gujarati|type=check|listed=nolist|date=September 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Kanti Bhatt
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1931|07|15}}
| birth_place = Sathra, [[Bhavnagar State]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2019|08|04|1931|07|15}}
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India
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| citizenship = Indian
| education = Bachelor of Commerce
| alma_mater = [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]]
| occupation = Author, journalist and columnist
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'''Kanti Bhatt''' (15 July 1931 – 4 August 2019) was an Indian author, journalist and columnist who is estimated to have written more than 45,000 columns in several [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] publications.<ref name="McDonald 2015">{{cite book | last=McDonald | first=Hamish | title=Ambani & Sons | date=7 August 2015 | publisher=Roli Books Private Limited | isbn=978-81-7436-943-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i9FbBAAAQBAJ | accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> Bhatt became a journalist in 1966 and served as the subeditor of ''Vyapar'' in 1967. He later became a freelance journalist and wrote columns for several Gujarati publications including ''[[Chitralekha (weekly)|Chitralekha]]'', ''[[Mumbai Samachar]]'', ''Janshakti'', ''[[Sandesh (Indian newspaper)|Sandesh]]'', ''Yuva Darshan'' and ''Jansatta''. He worked in [[Kenya]] for some time in 1977. He was an [[investigative journalism|investigative journalist]] and also wrote daily columns titled ''Aaspaas'' and ''Chetnani Kshane'' in ''[[Divya Bhaskar]]''.

==Early life==
Kanti Bhatt was born on 15 July 1931 in Sathra village in [[Bhavnagar State]] (now in [[Gujarat]], India) to Hargovindbhai and Premkunwar. His family belonged to the Zanzmer village of [[Bhavnagar district]] in the [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] region of Gujarat.<ref name="Express">{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/veteran-gujarati-journalist-kanti-bhatt-suffers-stroke-dies-at-88-in-mumbai-5878383/|title=Veteran Gujarati journalist Bhatt suffers stroke, dies at 88 in Mumbai|date=5 August 2019|work=The Indian Express|accessdate=5 August 2019|language=en-IN}}</ref> He had four brothers and three sisters. Bhatt was an editor of a magazine titled ''Zankar'' at a high school in [[Mahuva, Bhavnagar|Mahuva]].<ref name="sb2006" /><ref name="Rediff.com" /> He earned a bachelor of commerce degree from the [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]] in 1952.<ref name="Express" />

== Career ==
Bhatt worked with the [[Bhavnagar]] municipality for some time. Following a bout of illness, he moved to [[Uruli Kanchan#Naturopathy Ashram|naturopathy Ashram]] at [[Uruli Kanchan]]. He worked with his uncle's company (H.H.Bhatt Sdn. Bhd.) in [[Penang]], [[Federation of Malaysia|Malaysia]], for nine years when he travelled between India and Malaysia by sea seven times.<ref name="sb2006">{{cite web | author=સુરેશ | title=કાન્તિ ભટ્ટ, Kanti Bhatt | website=ગુજરાતી પ્રતિભા પરિચય | date=19 August 2006 | url=https://sureshbjani.wordpress.com/2006/08/19/kanti_bhatt/ | language=gu | accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="Rediff.com">{{cite web | title=Interview/Kanti Bhatt | website=Rediff.com | url=http://www.rediff.com/gujarati/2002/jan/05kanti.htm | language=gu | accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref>

He first started out as a journalist in 1966 in [[Bombay]]. Bhatt then served as the subeditor of ''Vyapar'' in 1967. He later became a freelance journalist and wrote columns for several Gujarati publications including ''[[Chitralekha (weekly)|Chitralekha]]'', ''[[Mumbai Samachar]]'', ''Janshakti'', ''[[Sandesh (Indian newspaper)|Sandesh]]'', ''Yuva Darshan'', ''Jansatta''. He worked in [[Kenya]] for some time in 1977. While working as an [[investigative journalism|investigative journalist]], he also wrote daily columns titled ''Aaspaas'' and ''Chetnani Kshane'' in ''[[Divya Bhaskar]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/abhivyakti/aas_pass/|title=શું છઠ્ઠી ઈન્દ્રીય થકી માણસ ભવિષ્ય જાણી શકે ખરો ?|language=gu|work=divyabhaskar.co.in|accessdate=2015-08-23|archive-date=29 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829005832/http://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/abhivyakti/aas_pass/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Bhatt wrote short stories.<ref name="sb2006"/><ref name="Vibhakar 2012">{{cite web | last=Vibhakar | first=Devang | title=Interview of Kanti Bhatt | website=SpeakBindas | date=20 March 2012 | url=http://www.speakbindas.com/interview-of-kanti-bhatt/ | language=gu | accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> According to an estimate reported in the Indian Express, Bhatt had written more than 45,000 articles.<ref name="Express" />

Bhatt together with his wife Sheela launched a Gujarati magazine called ''Abhiyan''.<ref name="Express" />

==Personal life==
Bhatt married Ranjan in the 1960s and divorced her in 1977. He married Sheela Bhatt,<ref name="Gates.">{{cite web | last=Bhatt | first=Sheela | title= BookHouse! Sheela Bhatt's Diary | website=Rediff.com | url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/oct/10diary.htm | accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> a journalist, in 1979. Sheela is a member of the Editors Guild of India.<ref name="Express" /> He had a daughter, Shakti, who died in 2007.<ref name="sb2006"/>

Bhatt died on 4 August 2019 in Mumbai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gujaratimidday.com/news/articles/kanti-bhatt-died-at-88-years-101486|title=જાણીતા લેખક-પત્રકાર કાંતિ ભટ્ટનું 88 વર્ષની વયે નિધન|date=2019-08-04|website=www.gujaratimidday.com|language=gu|access-date=2019-08-04}}</ref> According to his associate, on 2 August, he suffered a stroke that caused damage to his heart, and died two days later.<ref name="Express" />

==Legacy==
[[File:KantiBhattGarden.jpg|thumb|Patrakar Kanti Bhatt Garden, Kandivali, Mumbai]]
Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and Union Home Minister [[Amit Shah]] shared condolence messages on [[Twitter]] upon hearing of his death.<ref name="Express" /> Bhatt had mentored many young journalists. The formation of the Kanti Bhatt – Sheela Bhatt Foundation was announced by one of his students with an aim to help budding journalists.<ref name="Express" />

==See also==
* [[List of Gujarati-language writers]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatt, Kanti}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language writers]]
[[Category:People from Bhavnagar district]]
[[Category:Indian columnists]]
[[Category:Indian male journalists]]
[[Category:Journalists from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Writers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda alumni]]

Kanti Bhatt - Revision history

Samwaterman2016 at 05:22, 14 February 2026