Mumbai: On MF Hussain’s 108th birthday on Sunday, veteran actress Saira Banu took a trip down memory lane and recounted how the Indian artist started painting the late veteran star Dilip Kumar when he had a high fever. Saira shared an incident related to MF Hussain and the late actor on Instagram. He shared some old pictures of both the actors, showing their friendship and mutual love.
He wrote: Maqbool Fida Hussain was a dear friend and admirer of Sahib along with other close friends. Often, they would meet at the Taj Hotel Chambers for tea, lunch, dinner and family gatherings at home. Even at midnight Pran Sahib and Satish Bhalla used to honk outside our house and ask Sahib to get up to drive in the middle of the night! Hey! We wives had to be patient!
He continued, I remember Mr Hussain coming to our house. Once Sahab had high fever. Hussain and his wife Bakul Rajni Patel came to meet him, they sat by his bed, and suddenly Hussain took out a drawing paper and started drawing Sahab. I will always treasure that sketch. The next time he brought several ancient painting canvases, which he spread on the floor of the drawing room, sat Sahib on a chair and painted. Later he deposited it in Hyderabad museum.
Padmashri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan Hussain were globally renowned Indian artists of the 20th century who participated in the São Paulo Biennale with Pablo Picasso. His subjects include horses, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, the Ramayana and the British Raj. A painting of his voice was auctioned. $25 million. He began his career by painting cinema posters for the burgeoning film industry in Bombay.
He further said, “At that time I remember him declaring that Pari Chehra Naseem Bano’s face was the most beautiful he had ever created.” Husain’s Five Horses is his famous painting. Horses, a powerful symbol of his art motif, are symbols of the sun, strength, wisdom and freedom of the soul in Indian mythology.
How many people know about his extraordinary quirk of being completely barefoot while stepping out of his luxury Mercedes? I often wondered but never dared to ask him how he managed to work in cold countries without shoes.
Saira Banu then revealed that Hussain was inspired by Madhuri Dixit Nene’s personality. We all know that he was inspired by the personality of Madhuri Dixit, who was his favorite inspiration. He made many beautiful pictures of her and cast her in the film Gaja Gamini. Hussain was always followed by his female fans, who had their eyes fixed on him.
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Tags: Bollywood, Dilip Kumar, Entertainment, Saira Banu
First published: September 17, 2023, 20:13 IST