Miss Hussain... Miss His Works.

Actually, I had written this piece in a cyber café the day after Hussain Saab died. But thanks to the technology there all that remained was a blank sheet at the end. The icing on this was, the cafe owner demanding money for utilizing his piece of junk which he claims is a top-end computer. This, after calling him over and giving him ample time to save the write up on the comp – which he couldn’t do. Ah! Talk of looting, the Indian way.

Back to my favorite artist. Actually, when someone in the agency screamed Maqbool Fida Hussain passed away. I hardly paid any notice. Thinking it was someone else. Not for one moment relating it to the world renowned Indian artist. While the world was feeling for the loss of this virtuoso, I was, in fact, hardly aware of it. Only when the front lines in the newspaper screamed at me the next day, did I knew of it.

Ironically, as if some divine force was hinting that his stay on earth was almost edging to a finish, I, only a few days before the ill-fated event, downloaded a painting of his as a memoir, hoping I would hang it in the living room after furnishing it with other collaterals (I am not so rich to own a real Hussain, not yet though.). The only time I saw Hussain’s real work was a mural deftly crafted on a huge expanse of a wall in my dad’s office. While it colorfully sat on the wall I know it also conspicuously stood out. I, like many others, agree his works transcend time and each piece looks like it has been specially crafted for that era.

Although I have a vague recollection of the mural I have seen years ago, I still take time to google-search his works on the web. His horses were something that blew my imagination every time and kept me wanting to see more. The bold strokes. The fiery play of colours. The complex emotions…yes, these works carried the hallmark of a true genius. And there’s none who could beat him easily at this game on the eastern horizon.

Of course, many Indian artists vehemently refuse to agree on this. But one would easily see through that they are only burning with envy. Hussain was the only artist who, in fact, brought all the Indian artists’ works into international limelight. His jacked-up prices for his works not only caused a ruffle but actually garnered global reputation for Indian art. Instead of heaping praises on such an individual, these flocks only sulk. Which I feel is downright intolerable.

I have been and will always be a huge fan of his. I feel no shame to state this. Of course, I don’t support his vagrant artistic indulgence which hurt religious sentiments of people but when you overlook the part that makes him look “shady”, you see beyond: a man who literally painted the town red. M. F. Hussain truly deserves everyone’s praise.

P.S: Some have told me that the name M.F. Hussain is wrongly spelt with a double 'ss' in this post but I have intentionally retained it like many others writers - who did so keeping in context with the standard pronunciation rules. Yes, M.F Hussain does sign his works with a single 's.'