A city-based art gallery was forced to shut down a five-day-old exhibition of silk screen prints, on selected works of legendary artist M F Husain, after its organisers reportedly received anonymous phone calls and text messages threatening protests if the event continued. The exhibition of prints, or serigraphs, created by Husain’s friend Anil Relia, had opened at the India House Art Gallery in Balewadi on November 3 and was scheduled to go on till November 12.

Ramprasad Akkisetti, curator of the gallery, said the management decided to ‘suspend’ the exhibition after receiving calls from anonymous persons from various cities in Maharashtra. The callers threatened the organisers, saying that unless the show was suspended, they would hold demonstrations against it, said Akkisetti.

He said the callers did not identify themselves as being part of any group or political party. According to the organisers, the callers had questioned how the work of someone, “who had desecrated India and Hindu deities”, could be displayed.