A new Bollywood face has captured the imagination of India's best-known painter MF Husain.

Actress Amrita Rao replaces longtime favourite Madhuri Dixit, a former Bollywood superstar, as his new muse. Over the past few years Husain's paintings had been inspired by Dixit.

The painter told a daily on Thursday that he now planned an exhibition around Rao. He watched her new movie Vivah nine times and intended to see it often, he said.

"She (Rao) has entered my canvas. I will construct an entire exhibition around her," said Husain.

Rao entered Bollywood four years ago and has starred in some 10 movies. She acts along side Shahid Kapur in Vivah.

"Amrita has tremendous potential. After Madhuri Dixit she will go a long way," said Husain. "She is the ideal woman of today, someone who still has her Indian values intact."

Husain, 90, is one of India's best-known living painters and has his works have sold for millions of US dollars.