Bollywood mourns MF Husain's demise

New Delhi/Mumbai, Jun 9 (PTI) Legendary painter MF
Husain had his heart in Bollywood and many from the film
industry have expressed grief over his demise Thursday.
"Very sad to hear that the great M F Husain is no
more, RIP," veteran actor Dev Anand said on micro-blogging
site Twitter.
"The news is shocking. It is yet to sink in. Just two
days back I was discussing him with a friend. He was a great
filmmaker who made films which he believed in and financed it
himself. He was a special person and a genuine artist,"
director Anurag Kashyap told PTI.
Foraying into filmmaking with 'Through the Eyes of a
Painter' in 1967, Hussain later made 'Gaja Gamini' with his
then muse Madhuri Dixit, followed by 'Meenaxi: A tale of Three
Cities' starring Tabu.
Actor Raghubir Yadav, who also starred in 'Meenaxi..',
told PTI, "It is sad that an artist of such a stature is no
longer among us. Working with him was a learning experience.
He was peaceful by nature and a open-minded person."
"Deeply saddened by the news about Hussain saab. He
was not only a great artist but an incredible human being. His
passion and love for life was contagious and unparalleled. May
his soul rest in peace," tweeted Kunal Kapoor, who made his
acting debut with 'Meenaxi...'.
Expressing grief, actor Shabana Azmi told PTI that
Husain was a close friend and a wonderful human being. "He
was a prolific painter. He is someone who is born once in 100
years. I last met him through a video-conference. He was
deeply moved when we told him we will try to bring him back to
India. He missed India."
In the wake of legal challenges over his depiction of
Hindu deities in the nude and death threats in India, the
95-year-old Husain had been living abroad in self-imposed
exile since 2006.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar termed Husain as one of the
greatest artists in and outside India. "I think many people
realise the importance of artists in this country because of
him. His contribution to Indian art has been totally
unprecedented."
"Hussain passes away. We hang our heads partly in
grief and partly in shame for not being able to let him spend
his last days in this country," tweeted Rahul Bose.
"Very sad to hear of the passing of M F Hussain saab.
A wonderful person and a great artist. May his soul rest in
peace," actor Abhishek Bachchan said.
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur tweeted, "M F Husain who
seemed ageless, painting till his last days leaves us with one
of India's greatest legacy of art."
Madhur Bhandarkar said, "Sad to hear renowned
legendary artist M F Husain passes away, RIP!!!"
"The legendary MF Husain has left us. Rest in peace
sir," said actor Siddharth.
"RIP, M F Husain, son, lover and nemesis of India,"
actor Ranvir Shorey tweeted.
Filmmaker Pritish Nandy said, "Few people had that
zest for living as Husain. My walls are full of his notes and
drawings left in my office when I wasnt there."
Composer Vishal Dadlani tweeted, "Apologies for the
lack of understanding your home country showed you. There was
nothing vulgar about Husain's work. Pity that some illiterate
people who saw his stuff had dirty minds."