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    Bonding over art: When Husain collaborated with the Hindujas

    Synopsis

    A friendship was between the two was struck in the 1980s. The most prolific outcome of these partnerships was a series of 10 paintings.

    ET Bureau
    Business barons have always been patrons of art, especially if the artist is MF Husain. And the Hinduja brothers, Srichand, Gopichand, Ashok and Prakash, shared a unique bond with India’s barefoot Picasso and his creations. A friendship was struck in the 1980s, and in the years since, there were some unique collaborations between the Hindujas and the maestro. Sitting in his south Mumbai office on a rainy afternoon, Ashok ‘AP’ Hinduja shared a few tales with ETPanache of teaming up with Husain.

    Theorama
    The most prolific outcome of these partnerships was a series of 10 paintings, capturing the essence of various world religions like Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, etc. This series was created in 1994 for the inauguration of the Geneva-based Hinduja Bank’s operations. It still adorns the walls of the Swiss bank. “This was my brother, Srichand’s (SP) concept. He wanted paintings that would speak of religious tolerance. He shared this idea with Husain and asked him to execute it,” AP said.

    But it wasn’t easy to pin down the artist who had a flair for painting mostly Ganeshas, the female form and horses. But SP’s vision came to fruition over two weeks, in a chalet in Switzerland, where Husain painted. Husain labelled his visual interpretation of the drama ‘Theorama’. A handwritten note about each religion represented on the canvas accompanies the paintings.

    The paintings have never been displayed outside the bank. However, for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations, two paintings —Vedic and Humanism — were on display for about a month.

    Wedding invitations
    AP labels his eldest brother SP as a ‘creator’. “When he has an idea, he likes it to be brought out. He wouldn’t like to just go and buy something,” AP said.

    So during a wedding in the family in 2006 (when Prakash’s daughter Renuka married Swiss national Olivier), Husain was called yet again. This time, to create an invitation that captured the young couple’s story.

    “It was fashioned after the Luv-Kush Ashwamedh scene in the Ramayana. You see Renuka and Olivier on the horse. She is challenging the orthodox family, marrying a non-Indian, which has never happened in our family. Lord Ganesha is blessing them,” AP said.
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