M.F. Husain | Fida on Cinema

Aicon Contemporary is proud to present Fida on Cinema, a focused exhibition of exceptional works by Maqbool Fida Husain (1915–2011), one of India’s most celebrated modernists. The exhibition explores Husain’s lifelong fascination with cinema, both as an art form and as a mirror to modern life, through rare paintings that trace his creative dialogue with filmmakers, actors, and the moving image itself.

At the heart of the presentation is Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (Homage to Satyajit Ray), an extraordinary, museum-quality painting that stands as a tribute from one visionary to another. Husain and Ray, two towering figures of post-independence India, shared a profound admiration for each other’s work. Having begun his career painting film billboards, Husain remained a devoted cinephile and filmmaker throughout his life, often translating cinematic language into paint.

Created in 1991, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne channels the visual world of Ray’s beloved 1969 film of the same name. The painting captures the joyous motion and color of Ray’s characters, Goopy, Bagha, the foolish king, and the conniving minister, as they whirl across the canvas in a dynamic tribute to Ray’s imagination. Completed at a time when Ray was gravely ill and completing what would be his final film, Agantuk (The Stranger), Husain’s work resonates as an offering of friendship, admiration, and creative kinship.