Mail Today, Wednesday, August 12, 2009 Page 13

CELEBRATING CINEMA: ‘Mother India’ is a mixed media panel capturing the various moods of the film industry; Husain’s oil panel titled ‘Director’.

the Madhuri Dixit-starrer Gaja Gamini (2000); and Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Pays tribute to Cities (2004). The last two were not as well-received as his art. “I am painting actors and scenes from films of my choice; they are not necessar- industry through ily in chronological order but it’s my story of the film industry in these 100 years,” the painter said. Dixit, to whom he dedicated not just a paintings of fave film but a series of paintings titled Fida as well, will make an appearance on these panels by Husain. “The Hindi film industry has had two major icons in 100 years — Dilip Kumar actors & scenes and Madhuri Dixit,” Husain said. The nonagenarian master, who was chased out of India in February 2007 by Hindu right-wing hotheads because By Archana in New Delhi his paintings allegedly showed Hindu goddesses in an objectionable way, THE country’s best-known artist, retains his love for cinema, like any young M.F. Husain, is putting together man would. his most ambitious project yet as a tribute to the Indian film indus- ‘I try to catch a Hindi film try, which is a couple of years almost every week’ away from its first century. Speaking from London, the 94-year- old self-exiled painter, who started life “I have always been young at heart. I try to catch a Hindi film almost every week and know the younger crop of actors as The exhibition is likely to well — such as Amrita Rao. Films, you see, are a way of relaxing — you get to open in London in 2011 release your emotions when you whistle Husain paints and hoot in a theatre. I continue to do it,” Husain said with a chuckle. as a painter of film posters, said, Recalling the ‘film club’ he had formed “Indian cinema is soon going to com- with three of his friends in the 1960s plete 100 years. I have been a keen and 1970s, Husain said, “My painter student of cinema and always wanted friends V.S. Gaitonde and Tyeb Mehta to be a filmmaker. Now that I have got (both of whom have passed away) and a chance, I thought I must pay a trib- 100 years of I had formed this club where we would ute to Indian cinema through my watch a film every week — we especially paintings.” enjoyed whistling whenever the volup- For quite some time now, Husain has tuous actress Mumtaz appeared on been working on humongous panels the screen.” measuring 20x30 ft showing his take on Even as he paints these big panels for Indian cinema. He said the exhibition the Indian film industry and busies him- was likely to open in London in 2011 and self with a lot of other activities like put- would travel to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, New Indian cinema ting together his museum of works of art York and India too. (cars, paintings and installations), his It will be a celebration of the industry, sion that has grown out of our concept of of the world today, with his paintings mind is already racing towards the third which unspooled officially when the first the nine rasas and been adapted beauti- fetching millions in auctions, Husain feature film he would like to make. full-length motion picture, Dadasaheb fully by our film industry. Guru Dutt was began his career painting cinema posters “My first film was a classic, the second Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra, was pro- a master of this art — he knew how best and hoardings in Mumbai. was a contemporary story, and now I duced in 1912 and then first shown pub- to picturise a song-dance sequence. He studied art at the prestigious Sir J.J. want to make a comedy,” he said. licly in 1913. Later, Raj Kapoor did a very good job. I’m School of Art in Mumbai. He also has There’s a lot of art that’s waiting to “Indian cinema has a unique style of going to capture all this and more in three films to his credit — Through the carry the million-dollar Husain signature. filmmaking, featuring songs and dance,” my paintings.” Eyes of a Painter (1967), which won a archana.khare Husain said. “It’s a language of expres- One of the most highly acclaimed artists Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival; @mailtoday.in CISF personnel to protect Cornered Hillary asserts she Indian diplomats in Pak is secretary of state not Bill By Aman Sharma in New Delhi paramilitary personnel are being sent to HILLARY Clinton has a message for the Pakistan for security duties. world: It’s not all about Bill. THE Central Industrial Security Force The CISF has a 45-member contingent The US secretary of state bristled on (CISF) is selecting 13 of its best jawans posted at the Indian embassy in Kath- Monday when — as she heard it — a Con- to be sent to Pakistan for “security mandu and the consulate general of India golese university student asked what in Birgunj, Nepal, while the Indo-Tibetan her husband thought about an interna- escort” duties and to protect Indian Border Police is performing security diplomats stationed at the Indian duties at the Indian mission in Kabul. tional financial matter. High Commission in Islamabad. The high commission in Islamabad had She hadn’t travelled to Africa to talk After the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the placed a request for a similar cover after about her husband the former presi- CISF had already deployed six of its men the terror attack on the Indian dent. But even there, she couldn’t (in April) to be drivers of diplomats sta- mission in Kabul last year and after the escape his outsized shadow. tioned at the Indian High Commission. 26/11 strike. She abruptly reclaimed the stage for Now, India is supplementing the Pakistan, however, has been quite sen- herself. “My husband is not secretary of strength of its CISF men there in view of state, I am,” she snapped. “I am not Hillary and Bill Clinton. inputs from the Research and Analysis Inputs of terror threats to going to be channeling my husband.” about a multibillion-dollar Chinese loan Wing of repeated terror threats to the offer to Congo. commission. the Indian mission in Pak Clinton’s presence, so bold in her historic The CISF is picking its best personnel, presidential candidacy against Barack “If you want my opinion, I will tell you who are well-trained in VIP security Obama, has sometimes been hard to see in my opinion,” she said. “I am not going duties, for the sensitive job. The 13 men sitive to such an arrangement of Indian the months she has served as the sup- to be channeling my husband.” The are expected to leave for Islamabad next security personnel at the high commis- posed face and voice of US foreign policy. moderator quickly moved on. month. sion there and had created a diplomatic The president’s ambitious travels have State department officials said the stu- “Thirteen constables will be selected furore over the issue earlier this year. overshadowed her, heavyweight special dent approached Clinton later and told for security escort duties at the high However, CISF sources now say they envoys have been assigned to the her he had meant to ask what Obama, commission in Islamabad. They should have applied for visas from Pakistan for world’s critical hotspots, Vice-President not Bill Clinton, thought about the Chi- be less than 35 years of age, trained in the 13 CISF men to be sent next month Joe Biden has taken on assignments nese loan. A senior Clinton aide said that VIP security, have a clean record without and all necessary permissions from Pak- any punishment or adverse remarks, be abroad — and then last week her hus- Hillary assured the student not to worry istan would be taken. about it. free from departmental or vigilance It has not been specified yet by the band succeeded in a North Korean mis- inquiries and must have rendered a min- Union home ministry what roles the 13 sion to free two journalists even as she The Clintons have always been a compli- imum of five years of service in the CISF,” jawans would play as “security escorts” landed in Africa on a seven-nation trip. cated couple. An accomplished lawyer says the order of the Directorate General or whether they would carry arms and “You want me to tell you what my hus- and politician in her own right, Hillary has sent to all CISF units. ammunition from India for the duties. band thinks?” she asked incredulously struggled for decades to balance her This is the first occasion that Indian [email protected] when the student raised a question interests and ambitions against his. AP