K Radhakrishnan pays tribute to Arun Mehta

With the passing away of Arun Mehta, I have lost someone I always considered a beloved teacher, mentor and a genuine well-wisher.

Arun-bhai was an ardent admirer of German engineering and was very proud of his collection of Heidelberg letterpress machines. It was inevitable that we met often, involved as I was those days in Mumbai, in the marketing and sales of Heidelberg equipment.

 What I remember of those meetings is that they were never transactional in nature. Arun-bhai and Sudha-ben always welcomed you with a warm smile and were genuinely happy to see you. Over cups of tea, after the business part of the conversation was over, they solicitously asked after your personal well-being and were always there for you, were you to seek suggestions or advice.

Another passion that brought us together was our love for typography. I have never seen a person getting so excited while talking about the beauty of the Garamond typeface or finer design details of the Bauhaus font, as Arunbhai. When Arun-bhai was heading the BMPA, he used to print and publish a monthly newsletter. Simply and elegantly designed, the uniqueness of the newsletter was that every month, it was typeset in a different typeface.

Noble. Gracious. Cultured. Simple. Honest. Witty. Humorous. One can go adding such adjectives to his name and each word will be perfect and irreplaceable.

I will miss him.

My sincere condolences to Sudha-ben, Bimal and the rest of the family.

Read: Arun Mehta RIP

Please share your personal tributes about Arun Mehta with ramu@haymarketsac.com