An year after .. .The legend Departed ..

Maqbool Fida husain born on “17^th September 1915” was an iconoclast who found the brushes to be better swords than pen or the real swords. Known as the Picasso of India, his imagination, depiction and choice of colors were impeccable. M F Husain was a brand name in the world of art, and he’ll always remain so. Some of his accolades include Padma Shri (1955),Padma Bhushan (1973) and Padma Vibhushan (1991). Although he had been the victim of several controversies which includes accusations from the shiv sena party and various other hindu samities for his depiction of hindu god and goddess in their nude forms, his movie “Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities” was removed from the silver screens within two days, as one of the songs played in the movie had lines from the Holy Quran which was set for the central character of the film, played by Tabu. Not only this, but also one of his painting which he did for “India Todays” a popular magazine, titled “Art for Kashmir ” in which he presented Mother India as a nude woman and her body parts as the states was protested by various organizations. Husain apologized for the same. Though the painting was denigrated yet it was sold for Rs. 80 lakhs. Ultimately as a verdict several protests were held against him throughout the country and he was forced to leave the country. Art is a global language, though India couldn’t vindicate Husain’s paintings, he was welcomed by Dubai, where he took his new citizenship and became a Qatari national. Despite of all this, Husain never blamed his origin instead he always mentioned he missed his motherland in several interviews. It is a shame for the whole nation that he died an expatriate.  It is such a pity to see people who don’t even understand art, stand against it and display meaningless aggression. Apparently India is getting famous for creating a mess out of nothing. Though the paintings might have hurt religious sentiments to some level but apparently people failed to understand their real value. These protests questioned the right to expression, right to creativity and innovation. I wish India was more supportive to artists, musicians, poets and dancers. Husain was a prolific artist and his cubist style was very popular. My dream of meeting him(ever) was buried with his burial on June 9^th 2011. He died in exile. India lost more than “just” an artist; India lost an “identity”.  One of the most celebrated and internationally recognized Indian artists of the 20th century, he also received recognition as a printmaker, photographer, and filmmaker. May he RIP.