Madhuri Dixit's timing couldn't have been better! There I was at the podium in the middle of a sweet anecdote ( we all have our favourite Husain stories) about M.F.Husain, and how he had come to our home with the 'Gajagamini' dvd and talked for close to three hours about his love for Madhuri and the true meaning of 'mohabbat'.Boom! As if on cue, Madhuri walked in with her small entourage. She took her place in the front row gracefully and smiled through the narrative. Since Madhuri wasn't a scheduled speaker, I requested one of the organisers to invite her to say a few words about the great artist who was fida over her ( after checking with her, of course). She graciously agreed, and even though she had not formulated a speech, she spoke spontaneously and from the heart. She really is in a league of her own - refined, mature, intelligent. Class always tells.
It was a very special evening, and I am happy to report, the main hall of the famous Jehangir Art Gallery was packed to the rafters with genuine friends and admirers of Husainsaab ( including 200 students!). The speeches were patchy, but Nadira Babber's was outstanding ( even if , as a senior theatre artist, she had probably rehearsed every word and dramatic pause!).
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I am off to the Star Majhaa Awards. And looking forward to meeting Anna Hazare. I want to figure out for myself what his magic is all about. If possible, I shall tell him to call off his threatened fast. That tactic will no longer work - not even with his countless admirers.