Next month, we'll see the actor play Sugandha, a devdaasi and muse to Raja Ravi Varma, in Ketan Mehta's Rang Rasiya. Varma, a 19th century artist, was famous for his paintings based on mythology, and for his life-like portraits of the country's elite.
But not many are familiar with the erotic paintings that are an important part of his vast repertoire. They can now be found only in private collections and are rarely exhibited.
Varma often painted his muse as characters from Indian mythology, literature and religious texts -- Shakuntala, Urvashi, Sita, Draupadi, Menaka and Urvashi among others. "Varma saw in her (Sugandha) the face and soul of a goddess. (For him) she is passionate, possessive and hungry for love," says Sen.
