Camera more powerful than the brush!

Renowned painter M F Husain, who made his maiden foray into the cinematic medium with his film, Gaja Gamini, perceives cinema as a complete form of communication and a step ahead of the art of painting.

"Cinema is a more complete medium compared to other forms of art, including painting and music. It combines everything. It is a comprehensive means of communication," the painter-turned-film director told mediapersons.

"In films, you have to succeed in communicating with the audience through the narrative," he said, while explaining his shift from wielding the brush to commanding a larger canvas from behind the camera.

For the bare-footed painter, whose command over the canvas is legendary, the experiment with the cinematic medium has never meant compromising on creativity.

"There is creativity in every form of communication -- be it literature, painting or any other medium. In fact, I believe that the cosmos is the greatest work of art," he added.

Refusing to classify films as commercial and art films, he said, "Films can only be good or bad, labels are just incidental."

"If more people happen to attend a Lata Mangeshkar show than Bhimsen Joshi, it does not mean Bhimsen is lesser renowned artiste than her," he replied to a question expressing doubts about the commercial success of his film.

Commenting on the reaction to his maiden film, he said though the initial reviews were not encouraging, the response at Berlin Film Festival was heartening.

PTI