When M.F. Hussain Started Sketching A Portrait Of Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu Recalls

On the occasion of M.F. Hussain’s 108th birthday on Sunday, veteran actress Saira Banu reminisced about how the Indian artist began drawing the picture of late iconic actor Dilip Kumar when he was suffering from a high fever.

When Saira saw some old photos of the actor and the artist, she posted them on Instagram.

She stated: “Maqbool Fida Hussain, along with other close acquaintances, was a loyal friend and lover of Sahib. When Pran Saab and Satish Bhalla honked the horn outside our home at midnight to wake Sahib up for a midnight trip, they would often meet in “The Taj Hotel Chambers” for High Tea, Lunch, Dinners, and family gatherings! Ooof! We wives must practice patience.

After that, she remembered: “I clearly remember Mr. Hussain’s visits to our house. When Mr. Hussain and Mrs. Bakul Rajni Patel came when Sahib had a high fever, they sat by his bedside. Suddenly, Mr. Hussain brought out a piece of drawing paper and began sketching a picture of Sahib.

“I always cherish the drawing. The next time, he brought a ton of freshly painted canvas, spread it out on the floor of the drawing room, let Sahib sit on a chair, and then painted a picture of him. He later presented it to a Hyderabad museum.

Pablo Picasso visited the Sao Paulo Biennial with Mr. Hussain, a Padmashri, Padmabhushan, and Padmavibhushan, an internationally renowned Indian artist of the 20th century. His topics included Mother Teresa, the Ramayana, horses, Mahatma Gandhi, and the British Raj. His “Voices” artwork brought approximately 2.5 million dollars at auction. He started off by creating cinema posters for Bombay’s expanding film industry.

She said, “I fondly recall his saying that Naseem Banu’s face from “Pari Chehra” was the most beautiful face he had ever painted back then. The most well-known of Mr. Hussain’s paintings is “Five Horses.” His artwork often features horses, which are potent symbols for the Sun of Power, Knowledge, and Spiritual Freedom in Indian mythology.

“How many people are aware of his unique quirk of stepping out of his luxury Mercedes absolutely BAREFOOT? I often thought, but I never had the courage to confront him, “How would he survive in cold, desolate countries without shoes for goodness sake?!”

Hussain was “inspired” by Madhuri Dixit Nene’s demeanor, Saira Banu later claimed.

“We all know he was influenced by Madhuri Dixit’s character, his favorite muse (and who wouldn’t be enamored with attractive and very brilliant Madhuri). She was featured in the movie “GAJA GAMINI” and he painted her in a number of exquisite works. Mr. Hussain was always followed by his adoring female admirers, who had their attention fixated on him.