MF Husain birth anniversary: Contributions to modern Indian art, love for films, quotes

Celebrated painter MF Husain was dubbed the ‘Picasso of India’

Maqbool Fida Husain or MF Husain, as he is popularly known, was one of the most revered Indian artists of the 20th century, whose works gained international recognition.

Dubbed the ‘Picasso of India’ by Forbes magazine, Husain was born on September 17, 1915. He picked up his liking for art while staying at a Madrasa in Baroda. But it was not until 1947 that he presented his first serious artistic work.

During the early years in his career, the artist painted cinema posters on billboards for the growing Bollywood industry. But in his journey of breaking traditions, he went on to become one of the pioneers of Indian modern art as a founding member of Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group. His paintings were sometimes caustic or funny and sometimes somber. In his Cubist paintings, he explored a range of themes, from the epics to inspiring figures like Mother Teresa and several motifs of the urban and rural life.

Not just painting, Husain tried his hand at photography and even filmmaking. He won the National Film Award under Best Experimental Film for Through the Eyes of a Painter. His other films include Gaja Gamini and Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities.

In fact, he was so attached to movies that he once booked an entire show of Madhuri Dixit’s Aaja Nachle (2007) in the UAE during his stay.

Husain was known to be a fan of Dixit. In 1997, he made a cameo appearance in the film Mohabbat, starring Dixit as the lead.

Having invited a lot of controversies because of his unconventional paintings, Husain spent his final days in exile, away from his country, in Qatar and London. He died on June 9, 2011.

On this birth anniversary, here are some quotes by the painter:

* “They can put me in a jungle. Still, I can create.”

* “I am like a folk painter. Paint and move ahead.”

* “I only give expression to the instincts from my soul.”

* “Culturally, we (Indians) have a unique position and I don’t think one lifetime is enough to encompass it.”

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