Gandhi, UN, Chaplin and Bogart in Fida exhibition

New Delhi, Sep 8 (UNI) Mahatma Gandhi, United Nations and USSR form part of the varied colours of the canvas Maqbool Fida Husain put up on display as part of his 'Our Planet Called Earth' exhibit here to showcase his vision of the 20th century -- through a 100 painting series.

Twenty-five of the '100 series' on display here last evening gave a glimpse of Husain's 'globalisation vision', which advocates a celebration of the successes and failures of the century gone by.

A pinch of 'mingling of cultures' and 'globalisation of knowledge' encapsulates Husain's vision through the displays here, and furthers his 'art with a cause' cause celebre through 'The Phenomenon of M K Gandhi', 'Coming Together of People and Countries - The United Nations', 'The 1917 Revolution in Russia: Then the Breakup of USSR', 'Transformation of the Arab World, Turkey and China' and 'The Environment: Pollution and Conservation' and other themes.

The paintings, part of the '100 paintings, 100 crore' deal between business magnate Guru Swarup Srivastava and M F Husain, gives Delhiites a peek into his newest 'creations', which are part of the biggest corporate deal in the Indian art world.

The painter was offered Rs one crore each by G S Srivastava two years ago to paint 100 canvases on the theme -- 'Our Planet called Earth'.

Husain, who had churned out a series of works on Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit and even made a film, 'Gajagamini' on her, has completed 35 of them of which 25 were on display at the Lalit Kala Akademi.

The painting on Gandhi titled 'The Phenomenon of M.K Gandhi' has a pigeon symbolising peace resting in the place of the head.

''Husain was inspired by (Pablo) Picasso's own pacifist ideology,'' says Durga Kainthola, the curator of the show.

Hollywood icon Bogart is wearing his trademark felt hat, holding the New York Times in the painting on him while Chaplin, another anti-war hero like Gandhi is staring furiously at a missile in another painting.

''It is a vision of the globalisation of the Indian art,'' says Kainthola.

Husain did most of his job on the 35 canvases in London. This is the first exhibition of paintings under the deal with Srivastava, chairman of the Mumbai-based Swarup group that deals in iron ore business.

The rest of the paintings is to be completed by the middle of next year.

For Swarup, the deal presents him a ''big investment opportunity'' and it comes as a ''celebration of the Indian arts''.

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