Be robust, the Husain way!
R. BALAJI
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Husain does not have any unfulfilled desire, except that he wants the creative urge in him to continue.
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CELEBRATING ART Husain's endeavours are beyond the realm of controversies. Photo: K. Gajendran
As a teenager, he was barefoot, slogging in the hot sun to eke out a living as a cinema poster artist earning a measly "six annas" per day. In those days, with his meagre earnings he could not buy a pair of good sandals for himself. Seven decades later, the frail-looking teenager has risen to become one of the most celebrated artists in the world with enough wealth to wallow in. History might have changed a full circle for Maqbool Fida Husain, but not his strange predilection to remain barefoot. The man insists that he still has no intention to sport footwear and is happy the way he has been all these years.
Still going strong and just a few months away from entering his 90s, Husain who was in the city recently, attributes his robust health to the barefoot syndrome! "If I am today hale and hearty at this age, it's because I walk and travel bare feet. Barefoot walking helps activate the acupressure points in my body and keeps me as fit as a fiddle" says the veteran artist. "When we enter a place of worship, we remove our footwear, so why not do it during the normal times too," is his query.
Some say, he loves courting controversies. For others it's just that his idiosyncrasies land him in trouble too often, but the man remains unfazed about all the hullabaloo surrounding him. "Ours is a democracy, so people are free to express their own views. So why should I be bothered about all this criticism?" he muses.
If Madhuri's beauty moved him to make Gajagamini, Tabu inspired him to make Meenaxi. His latest fascination is Urmila Matondkar, with whom he intends to make a comedy.
Though the two films did not generate the anticipated box office collections, Husain insists that he wants to make his third film with Urmila. "Due to time constraints, I am unable to devote myself fully to the project. But I hope to do the film very soon," he says, adding "I never make films with box office collections in mind. I do it just for sheer artistic value." All his films are women oriented. What about male-oriented films? "I have no such intentions. I want to focus only on the woman, as she is the symbol of power. A woman is the embodiment of shakthi."
Has he any unfulfilled desires and dreams? After a deep pause, he says, "I don't think I have any such unfulfilled desires. I have got everything I wanted. As an artist, I always want the creative urge in me to continue. Maybe, it is that urge which helps me continue my passion,"
But what about the charge that his paintings are not easily understood by the common man? "I get my inspiration from various sources like music, cinema and nature. So it is for the people to interpret the paintings the way they like it," he adds.
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Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
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Thiruvananthapuram
