MF Husain passes away in London

MF Husain, India's best known contemporary painter, has died in London. India should grieve for two reasons. At 95, he was active and had lots of painting left in him. And he died in exile, unhappy with the way his home country had treated him.

Husain had been in exile since 2006, when he was attacked by rightist groups angry with his portrayal of Hindu deities. Last year, he was offered Qatari citizenship. But his heart remained in India, and in interviews, spoke fondly of what this country meant to him.

CNN-IBN reported from London that he was admitted only two days ago for fluid retention in his lungs, and but had otherwise been"in fairly good health".

Arun Vadhera, a friend who visited him at Royal Brompton Hospital yesterday, said he had been cheerful, talking about eating out at a restaurant soon after his discharge. "He really really missed India a lot," he told a TV channel.

He popularized modern art in India, painter S G Vasudev told a Bangalore news channel.

Next, Veena Malik ka swayamvar?

Veena Malik ka swayamvar? Yes, you read it right. If sources are to be believed, the channel that is currently airing "Swayamvar – Ratan Ka Rishta", has approached the Pakistani star for their next season.

"The channel is repenting by taking a non-controversial celebrity like Ratan Rajput this time for their show. The low TRPs prove that viewers have are not interested in Ratan's swayamvar," informs a source.

"The channel has now approached controversy queen Veena Mallik for the next season of the show and she has even agreed to give the offer some thought. The talks have started and Veena is quite keen on getting married this year. Whether or not she will be a part of next "Swayamvar" is yet to be decided, but she is the first choice for us," the source continues, adding, "Even mentioning Veena Malik as being interested in participating in the next season of "Swayamvar" will ensure inquisitiveness among the viewers."

Talking about what went wrong with Ratan's swayamvar, the source says, "Ratan selected the boys for her marriage herself. But soon after the show came on air and when people around her expressed their displeasure at her selection, she started stating in her interviews that it was the channel who selected the boys for her. Also, from the first day she seemed quite disinterested in interacting with the boys. The enthusiasm about getting married that Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan had, is missing in Ratan."

Ref:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com