Legendary painter-filmmaker MF Husain dies at 95

Bollywood Garam: MF Husain, India’s famous painter and Bollywood director, passed away at the ripe age of 95 in London on June 9. The painter – whose full name is Maqbool Fida Husain – went into exile 5 years ago following violent protest surrounding his paintings, and breathed his last in a London hospital on Thursday.

Besides going through a lot of struggles with his countrymen in the last years of his life, MF Husain loved India and his only wish was to come back to the country.

In Bollywood, he is famous for casting his muse Madhuri Dixit in his film Gaja Gamini (2000), and later he wrote and directed Meenaxi: Tale of 3 Cities (2004), which had Tabu in the lead role. His widespread appreciation for Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit was well-known and was also depicted in his paintings. It is also believed that he was in search of another muse and Anushka Sharma was just the person who fit the bill. Friends say that the painter watched Band Baaja Baarat more than 10 times just to watch Anushka.

Several celebs including Madhuri Dixit, Shobhaa De, Shabana Azmi, have mourned the loss of India’s greatest artist.