'He was a spectacular human being, apart from being a great artist. He believed in simple living and was always willing to help others. His life is very inspiring for every art lover,' says stylist Diviya Agarwal.
Renowned artist Maqbool Fida Husain (95), who passed away in a London hospital in the wee hours of Thursday, was remembered fondly by Puneites.
For city-based socialite and entrepreneur, Sabina Sanghvi, Husain was like a family member. “He was a father figure to us. He came and stayed with us for an entire month in 1991. He was working on a large painting for the Bajaj office.
“My husband and I actually developed a love for colours because of him. He would love going to Vaishali restaurant on FC Road. He was an ardent Madhuri Dixit fan. We, therefore, ended up watching her film Hum Aapke Hain Kaun five times with him,” she said.
Sanghvi remembers her daughter Shibani, who was very young then, crawling all over the place and even spoiling Husain’s paintings. “Husain never lost his cool. He was a wonderful human being who lived life to the fullest. I have a few of his paintings, which will remind us of him.”
City-based luxury stylist, Diviya Agarwal, who used to call Husain “Uncle H” told DNA on Thursday the artist’s demise had come as a shock to her. “He was family. We used to call him Uncle H. I have been to London many times with him and I have one of his creations at my home which came as a wedding gift to me in 1993.
“He was a spectacular human being, apart from being a great artist. He believed in simple living and was always willing to help others. His life is very inspiring for every art lover,” she said.
Several city artists have been inspired by Husain. Artist Prakash Bal Joshi, who is presently in Bangalore, told DNA, “Husain was a mascot for Indian art. His images were developed from Indian culture. His journey from billboard painter to a world class artist, is awe-inspiring. His visual language was bold and symbolised our diverse culture. Though some of his art created a lot of controversy, he has left behind a legacy.”
Artist Anwar Husain, who met Husain at an art exhibition in Pandharpur, also has some fond memories of the master. “It is a great loss to the art fraternity. He was an artist who represented the diversity of Indian culture. It is sad that he passed away outside India,” Anwar said.
Mumbai-based artist Ravi Mandlik said it was shameful that Husain could not return to India. “Whenever any Indian visited him, he expressed a wish to return home. He was full of energy and had completed a large-scale painting just two months ago,” he said.
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