10 June,2011 07:23 AM IST | | Amit Singh
Said the man who drew the master in the nude
He had serious issues with some of Maqbool Fida Husain's works. But on Thursday, as he got the news of the legend's death, Dr Pranava Prakash could not help feeling sad. The young Noida-based painter, who had drawn Husain in the nude to send a strong message to the maestro, was in shock when MiD DAY contacted him.
The man and his muse: Prakash (inset) feels there is a vacuum in his
heart; (above) The painting where he drew Husain in the nude
"The world knows me as the artist who painted Husain in the nude. But now that he is gone it feels as if a light has left the world of Indian art. There is a vacuum in my heart, a sense of uninhabited darkness, a remarkable loss of debate," said Prakash.
When Husain called
Recalling his conversation with Husain after he painted him in the nude in August 2009, the artist said, "A canvas, hung from the back wall of All India Fine Arts & Craft Society (AIFACS) in the rainy month of August, created quite a sensation. His son Shamshad was spewing venom against me. Young women artists were congratulating me. All of a sudden in evening there was thunder and heavy rain. I was working on a new composition in my balcony and my phone rang. When I answered the call I realised I was talking to Husain
himself."
Husain asked about Prakash about his background, remembers the painter. "I told him I am not trained professionally." "Kid, you do not need training. I like your passion," the master told him. "I gathered confidence and asked him why he painted Goddess Saraswati and Laxmi in the nude," Prakash said. "There was an uncomfortable silence. Then the voice remarked. 'There are many a thing that you will understand only after spending some time in the field of art.'"
The importance of Husain
Husain also told Prakash it was difficult for him to bring people to his shows in beginning. The 32-year-old painter was left stunned.u00a0 "I realised he is the guru of socio-pop artists. He has discovered the bridge and rope to connect the masses to art and bring people to the gallery. Success of Husain was the success of Indian art. Husain, through his art, made inroads into the life and mind of the Indian people. Artists like Husain come after long and create generations of art lovers," the artist said.
Tweeple-speak
Amitabh Bachchan: MF Husain, artist, painter, friend ... passes away! Sad, very sad! Many of his works and gifts adorn my home. Shabana Azmi: Husain was a close friend and a wonderful human being. He was a brilliant painter. He is someone who is born once..
