I think it is perhaps it is too early to take an absolutely dispassionate view about M.F. Husain — there are too many memories, too many images not dipped in rosy tints, too many things said and far too many unsaid ones that colour the artist and his persona. His muses, his poetry, his so-called self chosen exile, his works, his relationships with other artists, the man, the artist, the father, the grandfather of contemporary Indian art, the gimmick maker and the attention seeker…just too many epithets for one person for one lifetime…where does one begin? This is an expected problem anyone trying to write about him would encounter.
The latest coffee table book M.F. Husain a pictorial tribute by Pradeep Chandra published by Niyogi Books launched this week manages to tackle all these issues and more in the text. Since it is a “pictorial tribute” the reader starts out with zero expectations, but is pleasantly surprised at every step. Chandra doubles up as a fond observer and writes about Husain, and the occasions when the photographs were taken. He manages to rope in write-ups by luminaries like Anil Dharker, Ayaz Memon, Gulzar, Salil Tripathi to pen a few lines to make the narrative wholesome.
Chandra addresses virtually every aspect of Husain’s personality. There are photographs of Husain celebrating his birthday and enjoying every minute of it. I think years of painting faces from the silver screen, they ended up remaining a large part of his mental and emotional make-up. He loved to invite actors and film personalities to his birthday bashes and Id celebrations. Like a true Leo, Husain used to love celebrating his birthday, and there is one picture with all the invitees wearing Fez caps and even dancing with a belly dancer! This is an adorable, loveable, childlike aspect that Chandra chooses to show us. The fact that Husain’s love for cinema prevailed till his twilight years is evident, as in the later years his muses be it Madhuri, Tabu, Urmila Matondkar, Amrita Rao or Vidya Balan have also found a place in the book.
Husain’s roots in Badar Bagh in Bombay (till his last he couldn’t roll off Mumbai with ease!), the fact that he was a panch namazi, that he loved celebrating Id in a traditional way, including spreading a lavish dastarkhan and eating with members of his community, close friends and family, is lovingly captured in Chandra’s camera and finds an important place in the book.
The barefooted artist had more than his share of eccentricities including the rebellion of not wearing shoes and yet designing them! But compromising once in a while to wear just socks! Dharker too narrates an anecdote about the bare foot fetish, and Chandra assigns an entire chapter to it! In fact once when I was interviewing him, Husain was wearing a very elegant pair of ankle length boots in Delhi’s harsh winter and I recall commenting on it and Husain’s amused chuckle is stuff memories are made of!
Moreover, Husain’s inability to settle into any place is amply evident, as Chandra has some beautiful pictures of the legend’s Doha palace. In the time when Husain spent away in self-imposed exile, he was a true world citizen. He just happened to be born in India and yet the world was his home. It is difficult for people to understand this, as they are too busy claiming him as their own.
The concentration with which Husain worked, his love, his dapper sense of innate style and dressing, his extraordinary charm — especially when it came to women, his generosity, ability to be “at home” anywhere in the world is all part of yet Chandra’s self-chosen mandate.
The book is beautifully printed. The publishers deserve kudos for not compromising on anything, and most importantly having the courage of conviction in coming out with such a book. One can understand why the publishers have been so careful, but I feel that that the phrase “a pictorial tribute” could well have been omitted for it may not be biography in the strict sense of the term, but has made enough forays to be able to paint a fairly comprehensive picture of the enigma that was Husain and goes beyond merely being a pictorial tribute.

Alka Raghuvanshi is
an art writer,
curator and artist