Mohammed Abdur Rahman Chugtai was born in Lahore, Punjab in undivided India. He belonged to a family of traditional Persian artists and architects who worked in the Mughal court. Chughtai learnt Islamic ornamentation from a local artisan, Baba Mir Baksh. In 1911, he joined the Mayo School of Art in Lahore. Chughtai visited Kolkata in 1916 and was deeply inspired by the work of Abanindranath Tagore.

Chughtai's work shows the delicacy of miniatures and lyricism of the Bengal school. He drew his images from the mythological, historical and literary sources. His paintings portrayed both Hindu and Islamic themes. Chugtai's paintings used the bright colours of the miniatures and his flowing sinuous lines reflect the influence of Bengal School. Following Partition in 1947, Chugtai continued to remain and became Pakistan's national artist.

Hariman Tota is a beautiful visual reference by M. A. R. Chughtai to traditional Indian idea of the parrot as a messenger between lovers. This painting is inspired by the miniature style in its use of stylized rendering of banana plants and architectural elements in the background.

The dainty little bird is perched on the shoulder of the Nayika, who is busy at her toilet. The scene is steeped in an exquisite romanticism.