Date of Birth: September 17, 1915
Place of Birth: Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India
Date of Death: June 9, 2011
Place of Death: London, England
Professions: Painting, drawing, filmmaking
Spouse: Fazila Bibi
Children: Shamshad Hussain, Raisa Husain, Mustafa Husain, Owais Husain, Shafaat Husain, Aqueela Husain
Father: Fida Husain
Mother: Zunaib Husain
Awards: Padma Bhushan (1973), Padma Vibhushan (1991)
Maqbool Fida Husain was one of the most famous artists of India, known all over the world for his amazing paintings that he created during his lifetime. So huge is the popularity of his paintings that M. F. Husain was called the 'Picasso of India' by the Forbes magazine. Husain was largely responsible in modernizing Indian art as he was one of the most influential founding members of Bombay Progressive Artists' Group. During the course of his splendid career, Husain also tried his hand at printmaking, photography and filmmaking. Some of the films which he directed met with critical success. Apart from receiving the prestigious National Film Award under Best Experimental Film for his movie ‘Through the Eyes of a Painter’, he also made ‘Gaja Gamini’ and ‘Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities’. The latter was screened and appreciated at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Though he was a celebrated and respected painter, Husain met with heavy criticisms during the final phases of his career. The criticisms flew in for his nude depictions of Hindu goddesses, which ultimately forced him to seek asylum in countries like Qatar and England. Husain never made it back to his motherland and the debates surrounding his exile continued for many days even after his demise.