Husain designed wedding card for Kolkata businessman

Both brothers own the chain of eateries,Azad Hind Dhaba,where Husain would make it a point to be present whenever he was in Kolkata.

Husain’s association with the Sharmas started 25 years back when Satish was 18 and Dharam Bir was 20. “Our grandfather Amlok Ram Sharma and father Chaman Lal Sharma used to run the dhaba. Babuji (Husain) visited our joint and almost instantly he was a hit with our family. Over time,he grew extremely fond of us,especially my elder brother Dharam Bir,whom Babuji used to call by his nickname Bittu,” said Satish.

Husain would have regular telephonic conversations with the Sharma brothers. According to Satish,they talked about almost everything under the sun,from politics to films,and Husain would often mention Madhuri Dixit,said Satish.

When Dharam Bir’s marriage was fixed with Miru on the April 29,2000,he called up Husain to convey him the happy news and seek his blessings. “Babuji was extremely happy. He himself offered to design the wedding card. My brother was ecstatic. It was the best wedding gift he could get,” said Satish.

The wedding card had two human figures,one male and one female,mounted on two speeding horses,in the backdrop of a rising sun and a valley of flowers. “Babuji loved horses. He said,’Bittu,I painted aswathamas (horses in sanskrit) on your card as I want the two of you to move forward in your lives in the speed of a horse.’ That was very touching,” said a visibly-stirred Satish.

Apart from Dharam Bir,the only other person who has had the rare privilege of getting a wedding card painted by Husain is Madhuri Dixit.

Whenever he came to Kolkata,he made it a point to visit the Sharmas either at their home or at the Ballygunje Circular Road outlet of Azad Hind Dhaba.

“In 2004,we opened the first franchise of the dhaba near Uluberia. He went there to bless us. The moment he stepped into the place,he took out his brush and painted a motif,wrote ‘All the Best,’ and signed his name. We have framed it and put it up on the wall,” said Satish.