There are allusions to Husain's own experiences with his muse, Madhuri Dixit, with whom he made his previous film, Gaja Gamini (2000).

But that doesn't deter a rejuvenated Nawab from giving her different personae – she can be the mysterious perfume trader of Hyderabad, the exotic desert bloom of Jaisalmer or the orphaned Maria of Prague.

A. R. Rahman composed the music to lyrics written by Rahat Indori, M. F. Husain], and Sukhwinder Singh.

The music for Meenaxi was released on 24 January 2004, generating controversies for the song "Noor-Un-Ala" which had lyrics from the Quran.

[4] The audio was released on 24 January 2004 creating controversy regarding the song "Noor-Un-Ala" which had lyrics directly taken from the Quran.

She is aided, of course, by Husain's knack of presenting his women beautifully, like he did to Madhuri Dixit in Gaja Gamini.

An artier, free-form take on Bollywood formulae, this showcase for actress Tabu (niece of veteran thesp Shabana Azmi) could find a niche offshore on the strength of its visuals and the varied score by composer du jour A.R.