'Madhuri's an illusion, but Tabu's reality'

His bare feet are dirty, toes with blobs of blue paint, but Maqbool Fida Husain is oblivious to the crowd around him. His eyes are set on only one person — Tabu in a red gypsy dress, posing for the painter at Stage 4 at Mehboob Studio.
Tabu plays the heroine in Husain''s second movie, A Tale Of Two Cities. But ask him whether the spotlight has shifted from Madhuri Dixit to Tabu, as his muse, the artist simply states, "Madhuri is a thought, an illusion, while Tabu is reality." He adds, "That''s why Madhuri''s face was never shown in Gaja Gamini. Also, I have never painted Madhuri''s portrait, but here I am doing Tabu''s."
Films, particularly his latest one, play a central role in his life. "The movie is 30 per cent complete. The first phase of shooting in Jaisalmer is over. Now we''ll go to Prague and Hyderabad." That''s a pretty zestful octogenarian, what say?
As an artist and director, Husain emphasises that his search for creative fulfilment "will never end." "Painting is so exciting! I want to share the process with the public. Even then, I''m working in total concentration. Its a form of meditation."
Though this year he turns a modest 87, Husain''s zest for life hasn''t diminished. With a grin, he says, "Maybe it''s all in my body chemistry. It''s a passion for life. A fire which is not only for painting, but taken further into music, art and films. It''s basically a passion for life"
khushnuma.d@timesgroup.com