Remembering Hussain

Here's a real estate developer whose love for art introduced him to the India's Picasso -- M F Hussain. Girdharilal Vaid (79), who was featured in the Elite Collectors of India, shares his journey of 60 years with Hussain Sahab:



Lasting impressions
I first met Hussain Sahab at the entrance of Jehangir Art Gallery in the 1950s when the Gallery had just opened. When I introduced myself to him, he got nostalgic as he remembered his father who had worked in our Indore Malwa Mills. I vividly remember one Sunday morning at the Tata Theatre when Pt Bhimsen Joshi sang and Hussain painted. The audience was spellbound. However post interval, to everybody's surprise, Hussain came on the stage, took a bucket of red paint and splashed it on the canvas and once again began painting the canvas afresh with the red background.



Missing a friend
The last meeting I had with Hussain Sahab was at Prafulla Dahanukar's house when we had dinner together. That evening, he was in his element and for hours narrated anecdotes including his meeting with Picasso. We recited Urdu poetry to each other and regaled ourselves. It is a shame that India's Padma Vibhushan had to live away from his own country and die in exile. I deeply miss this great artist and man.