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Maqbool Fida Husain (17 September 1915 – 9 June 2011) popularly known as MF or “Picasso of India”, was a prominent Indian painter.


MF, the renowned modern artist, who left India, his home country in 2006 following string of legal cases and death threats, died in London on Thursday after brief illness. He was 95.





MF formerly based in Mumbai, was accused by Hindu hardliners of insulting their faith for portraying goddesses in the nude in some of his paintings — a depiction that he said symbolised purity. Following threats by radical Hindu groups that offered a reward of millions of dollars for his death and hundreds of legal cases filed against him for over the years, he left India in 2006. He was given the citizenship of Qatar and was staying there.

In 1955, he was awarded the Padma Shree. In 1967, he made his first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter that was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and won a Golden Bear.

Husain was a special invitee along with Pablo Picasso at the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1971. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1973 and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1986.

In 1991, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.