Genelia Charms Her Way in Force

Film Review:

Her sparkling eyes, easy-going demeanor and body language are a visual treat. Pretty comfortable in front of the camera her delivery and timing keeps the viewer fascinated. The writers and editors deserve a lot of credit as does this female lead.

I am referring to Maya (Genelia D’Souza) in Force, a romantic action film that includes male lead John Abraham (Yashvardhan), a hard-working, but stubborn, narcotics officer who ensures that bad guys get their due. In his self-styled vigilante role, Yashvardhan sometimes bends the rules to obtain justice. He believes that the only way to eradicate crime is to give criminals the bullets -- not handcuffs.

Maya, a strong-willed, affable social worker helps children learn and is keen in making a difference in people’s lives. In one of the encounters, she bumps into Yashvardhan, the ACP (Asst. Commissioner of Police) and it’s a matter of love at first sight for the free-spirited girl. Maya’s love pushes the “ACP sir” to make a choice between the life he already knows and the life he could have with her. Yashvardhan's decision to let happiness and normalcy into his life changes his life forever.

Amorous lead couple (left) and Beefy John Abraham (right)

An actor who has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films, Genelia says, “Force allows me to push both my artistic and physical boundaries. I think while the young, cute, energetic girl has been something most people associate me with, this film has given me a character who is definitely a mature extension of that bubbly girl. As soon as I read the script, I was hooked and wanted to be a part of this film” directed by Nishikant Kamath (Mumbai Meri Jaan) and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah.

In terms of breath-taking action, John is superbly matched with debutante villain Vishnu played by Vidyut Jamwal who has been trained in the martial arts including gymnastics and Kalari or Kalaripayattu which originated in Kerala. Vishnu’s nemesis is Yashvardhan who keeps the fights credible and thrilling thanks to his newly-acquired muscles and weight. Reportedly, stunt director Allah Amin was on hand for the more difficult scenes.

Fighting drug traffickers

While reporting to the chief of the drug operations played by Raj Babbar Yashvardhan confesses about Vishnu, “I told you we are not dealing with a person, I told you, its an animal.” The rite of passage for an actor these days seems to be a bare-breasted image made popular by the likes of Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan, and John Abraham does not disappoint with his “8-pack” abs. At times the tough guy shows his softer side which is refreshingly endearing since Maya (Genelia) virtually carries the film. John says, “As a love interest Genelia is so full of life who brings so much energy on the sets, it was amazing to work with a thorough professional.”

Force is the Hindi remake of Gautham Menon’s 2003 Tamil thriller Kākka Kākka (or the Protectors), that featured actor Surya. In the Tamil version the cops were battling organized crime, here the draw is drugs being smuggled and exported on an international level.

Well-choreographed and crafted the gripping narrative shows lots of action and romantic takes. Music director Harris Jayaraj gives new meaning to sentimental scores with Chahoon Bhi, sung by Karthik and Bombay Jayshree, bound to become an iPod favorite.

Wedding scene

Light-hearted banter at times between Yashvardhan’s colleague Atul (Mohnish Behl) and his wife, Rachana (played by Anaitha Nair) helps ease the tension. In one candid shot, she recommends to the ACP to “lose his virginity” that day.

Finally, some of the fighting and shooting scenes could have been left behind in the editing room. Force could have been contained within two hours instead of the 138 minutes it runs for.
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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Asian Art Sales Open Fall Season On A Strong Note

by Eileen Kinsella and Raj. S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK—Fall auctions of Asian art got off to a solid start on Sept. 13 with Christie’s sale of South Asian modern and contemporary art, one of the fastest growing sections of these biannual art auctions in recent years. Sotheby’s also did well with an opening sale of classical Chinese paintings that more than doubled presale estimates.

While Chinese ceramics and works of art continue to contribute a major portion of the overall series total—Sotheby’s had a $22.7 million sale while Christie’s two-day series was expected to bring between $19 million and $28 million—Indian and southeast Asian art and Korean and Japanese art sales were considerably weaker. Excluding its ceramics and works of art sale results, Christie’s had realized $37 million for five sales, as ARTnewsletter was published, while Sotheby’s achieved a total of $31.4 million in three sales.

The top lot at Christie’s modern and contemporary South Asian art sale on Sept. 13 was a painting by Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain. His large oil painting, Sprinkling Horses, sold for $1.1 million compared with an unpublished estimate “in the region of $1 million,” according to a Christie’s spokesperson. It was bought by a U.S. collector. Works by Husain dominated the sale, accounting for eight of the auction’s top-ten lots. In all, the sale featured 13 works by the artist, all of which sold, and accounted for $4.2 million, or more than half of the $7.4 million total.

The overall presale estimate was $6 million/8 million. Of 111 lots offered, 77, or 69 percent, were sold. By value the sale realized 82 percent.

Other artists in the top-selling lots were Tyeb Mehta, whose oil painting, Untitled (Man vs. Horse), 1957, sold for $602,500, compared with an estimate of $300,000/500,000, and Ram Kumar, whose Untitled (Boy and Goat) oil painting, 1956, sold for $350,500 to an Indian collector, compared with an estimate of $200,000/300,000.

Other top lots by Husain included: the painting Yatra, 1955, which sold for $932,500, nearly double the $300,000/500,000 estimate; Untitled (The Three Graces), 1990, an acrylic on canvas that sold for $482,500, within the estimate of $400,000/750,000, to a dealer; and the oil, Village Women, 1954, which sold for $338,500, compared with an estimate of $100,000/150,000.

The Christie’s Indian and Southeast Asian art sale realized $4.1 million for 203 lots offered, missing the presale estimate of $5 million/7 million. Of the lots offered, just 137, or 67 percent were sold. By value, the sale realized 59 percent.

The highest price was $482,500 for a bronze figure of Chandeshvara, South India, Chola period, 12th century (estimate: $ 400,000/600,000), and was bought by an unidentified institution. A U.S. collector paid $422,500 for a large Imperial gilt and polychromed wood figure of Garuda, Tibeto-Chinese, 18th century. The price was well above the $120,000/180,000 estimate.

A sale of Japanese and Korean art at Christie’s on Sept. 14 took in $3.8 million, with 172, or 59 percent of the 291 lots on offer finding buyers. By value the sale realized 41 percent, or less than half of the presale estimates. However, some prices at the top end of the sale were much better than expected.

These included an oil and mixed-media on board by Park Sookeun, Returning from the Market, 1965, which was estimated at $400,000/500,000 and fetched $722,500, and a Meiji Period lacquer cabinet, ca. 1900, that sold to a U.S. buyer for $458,500, compared with an estimate of $300,000/350,000.

Sotheby’s sale of classical Chinese paintings on Sept. 13—the house’s first such specialized sale in over a decade—realized $6.5 million, compared with a presale estimate of $2.6 million/3.7 million. Of 81 lots offered, 71, or 88 percent, were sold. By value, the auction was 95 percent sold. The sale was led by Running Script Transcription of an Epitaph, a painting by Dong Qichang (1555-1636), that sold for $782,500, several times the estimate of $200,000/300,000. Also bringing a better-than-expected price was Thatched Hut in Autumnal Mountains, 1743, by Dong Bangda, an artist who was admired and praised by Emperor Qianlong. The work sold for $386,500 compared with an estimate of $180,000/250,000.

Sotheby’s vice chairman of Asian Art, Henry Howard-Sneyd, said the sale results “testify to the international nature of this market,” and said the house plans to continue them. “With this success, we look forward to classical Chinese paintings sales becoming a regular fixture of our New York Asia week sales,” said Howard-Sneyd.

The Chinese works of art sales at Sotheby’s on Sept. 14, were led by a gilt-bronze votive stele of Buddha, Northern Wei Dynasty, A.D. 471 that was bought by London specialist gallery Eskenazi Ltd. for $1.02 million—higher than the estimated $600,000/800,000.

At the modern and contemporary South Asian Art sale on Sept. 15, M.F. Husain figured in five of the top-ten lots with most of them selling at higher-than-estimated prices. Priyanka Mathew, head of modern and contemporary South Asian Art, Sotheby’s said, “of the M.F. Husain works that found buyers, many exceeded the high estimate, particularly works that have not appeared on the market recently.”

The total for the category was $2.3 million, with 59 percent of 87 lots sold, and 67 percent sold by value. The top lot, Eglise, 1962, an oil on canvas by Syed Haider Raza, sold for $362,500 to a private Asian bidder.

An oil on canvas by Raja Ravi Varma, Untitled (Himalayan Beauty), sold for $266,500 (estimate: $100,000/150,000).

In the Indian Miniatures category, the top lot, Krishna and the Cow, India, Punjam Hills, Sirmur, an opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper, ca. 1820, by an anonymous artist, sold for $56,250, compared with an estimate of $30,000/50,000.

Bodyguard: Love Story with a Twist

Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor

Right off the bat in the opening scene, we see Lovely Singh, that’s his name (Salman Khan) pound the “bad” guys. One speculates: perhaps the film is about the brawny “good” guy beating up the bad guys like any other Hindi flick. But no – actually it turns out to be a love story of sorts with Salman being involved in love knots.


Kareena (right) and Hazel Keech in college library

Bodyguard and Divya


Divya Rana (Kareena Kapoor) is a college student, and her confidant is Maya played by Hazel Keech (London-born daughter of an Indian mother and British father). Divya, the only daughter of Sartaj Rana, (Raj Babbar), a business bigwig, is a spoiled brat. Being priceless in a manner of speaking, Sartaj Rana appoints Lovely as a bodyguard to protect Divya.

On Satraj’s orders Lovely, being a true professional, follows Divya everywhere including into her college classroom to the chagrin of the professor as also to the ladies room since he is an obedient servant. Through anonymous phone calls Divya tries to irritate Lovely though her best friend, Maya does not approve of such tactics.

With Lovely being a constant pain in the neck Divya, who seeks a normal college life, tries to throw the bodyguard off track by trying to trap him in a fake love affair. However, the affair misfires and Divya is obliged to cover her tracks since she really falls for the hunk, but its too late.

In a story where the heroine’s father is very authoritarian she cannot afford to fall in love with the help, its just not done. The “laws of hierarchy” in Hindi films do not permit such a happenstance. Soon follow a web of lies and trickery and with her best friend, Maya in cahoots, what starts as an innocent prank goes awry.

Turns out that the bodyguard’s young boy later reads a diary left behind by his mother. Shades of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai that starred another Khan – Shahrukh, and Kajol.

Salman does have his shirtless moments but he seems rather gentlemanly and low-key even in his “romantic” interludes since he has fallen in love with the telephonic voice of “Chaaya” – not the face. A couple of reverberating numbers do have the customary Punjabi beat.

As the boss’s sidekick Asrani’s sychophantic demeanour is understandable. Actor of yesteryear, Vidya Sinha shows up in a guest appearance and Katrina Kaif dances for a song, Aaya Re Aaya.

With an unusual name such as “Tsunami Singh” one is assured early that Rajat Rawail is the comedy element thanks to his oversized frame. His explanation as to how he got his name does not particularly help any. His comedy tends to be a stretch and jars at times.

Salman’s fights against villains – Aditya Pancholi and Mahesh Manjrekar – are well-staged but one missed the “gold standard” in terms of fighting scenes: Rajnikanth. The Bodyguard’s weapon of choice tends to be his bare, well-toned physique and his upper body strength that repels all kinds of physical attacks. The occasional pistol shot aimed at him tends to boomerang and maim or kill the adversary. The viewer has to accept the fact that the Bodyguard is invincible. Period. One should not expect logical outcomes or why the laws of physics fall by the wayside when watching the movie.

Bodyguard has been seen in several forms. Starting in Malayalam, director Siddique had also made it in Tamil as Kaavalan and the Telugu version is due for release soon. The Hollywood version released in 1992, showed Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.

Kareena’s wardrobe is flattering. As an actor she has matured as well. In a film that goes slightly over two hours with English subtitles, the film has merciless, ongoing action, a weak storyline and an attempt at romance. Billed as a romantic thriller, Bodyguard has not only surpassed first-day collections of recent releases – Singham, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Delhi Belly – but has also broken all international records in North America, London and Dubai for any Bollywood film.
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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

The Hindu Retail Plus, Aug. 28, 2011 -- Art Column

Walt Disney Studios Now Releases Indian Movies

Entertainment

By Raj S. Rangarajan

Yet another proof – if proof be needed – that Indian entertainment has gone global. It was merely a function of time. Disney’s release of Indian films into the home entertainment market across North America last week is another indication that Hollywood is getting closer to Bollywood.

Market-watchers have been studying the real value that Bollywood productions can offer for a while, and its just not surprising that Disney had signed up for Indian films. Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California has released three films from India – Do Dooni Chaar, a feel-good Hindi movie, Once Upon a Warrior, a special-effects fantasy adventure in Telugu and Zokkomon, a Hindi production. Each of them mercifully has English subtitles – a great help.

Most Disney adventures tend to involve kids in some form and are normally released in Summer. The films are available immediately on multiple platforms, including DVD, video-on-demand and digital download in North America. Providers are offering the films on VOD including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Verizon, AT&T, DirecTV, InDemand, TVN, Charter, Playstation, and Xbox. And, if you prefer digital download you can get the films on iTunes and on other platforms.

Disney, which produced the films, was expanding entertainment options for multicultural groups in North America while recognizing local talent from India. More information on the films and their availability can be found on the official site: www.DisneyWorldCinema.com.

Also active in entertainment for South Asians are Reliance ADA (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group), now an established international name in entertainment, and former tennis star, Ashok Amritraj’s company, Hyde Park Entertainment that produced the comedy, The Other End of the Line about call centers starring Shriya Saran who played opposite Rajnikanth in Sivaji.

Reliance ADA’s interests include film processing, production, exhibition and digital cinema as also FM Radio and a formidable cinema chain, Big Cinemas with a presence in the United States, Malaysia and Netherlands.



Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh in Do Dooni Char







Aditi Vasudev, Neetu Singh, Archit Krishna Rishi Kapoor in Do Dooni Char






Harshitha, Siddharth, Lakshmi Manchu in Once Upon a Warrior


Reviews of the Films:

Do Dooni Chaar, a humorous family comedy featuring Rishi Kapoor and his wife, Neetu Singh won the 2011 National Award for Best Hindi Film of the Year at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) in May and Rishi won the Best Actor Award. In a running time of 111 minutes, these two stars of yesteryear keep the audience engaged with hilarious asides.

Set in Delhi, the movie shows Santosh Duggal (Rishi Kapoor) play an honest, principled school teacher and is always broke. He has to constantly cope with the demands of his job as also with living up with the Joneses in a peer-conscious society and extended family. His college-going daughter Payal (Aditi Vasudev) is independent and rebellious like any other teenager and the Duggal son, ambitious Sandy (Archit Krishna) gets into gambling to make a quick buck.

Portrayed as a typical, middle-class dysfunctional family, while Santosh tries to keep the wolf from the door, he is constantly short in his execution for no fault of his: its the system that short-changes him every time. When the Duggals decide to upgrade from a scooter to a family car, they confront major road blocks. However, the film is not depressing, it is replete with mismanaged chaos, peals of laughter and good-natured efforts at blackmail. All in all, a must-see.

Once Upon a Warrior is a special-effects-filled fantasy adventure (Telugu movie, subtitled in English) that focuses on courage and friendship. Set in a fictitious land named Sangarashtra (also known as Agartha), the film follows the epic journey of Moksha (Harshitha), a nine-year-old-girl with special healing powers and an obsession with butterflies.

As Moksha embarks on a quest to save her homeland from the tyranny of an evil Queen (Sarpini, played by Lakshmi Manchu, theater grad from Oklahoma City University who has appeared in TV serials, Las Vegas and Desperate Housewives and has her own Telugu talk show in America), she joins forces with a smart but visually-challenged warrior, Yodha (played by Siddharth), and his gypsy girl friend, Priya (played by Sruthi Hasan) who later becomes his beau.

Sruthi Hasan and Siddharth in Once Upon a Warrior

One would think the film maker was trying to imitate Harry Potter but while one ponders one is led to an exotic bar scene – an Arabian Nights-type scenario (comedy element, Brahmananda – Mozhi) with hanging bottles and flasks and colorful smoke billowing aimlessly. Shot partly in Turkey, the mid-eastern touch is unmistakable. At the bar, Yodha gets inebriated and loses his way till the other do-gooder, Druki (played by Ramji Vallabhaneni) sets things right.

Boomerangs and butterflies are part of the fantasy and released at appropriate times, the good guys constantly win specially with Yodha having no problem wielding the sword like a champion fencer.

For good to prevail over evil – we all know – sacrificial fires (yagnas) have to be performed by well-meaning priests and finally, Sarpini or Irendri (read evil queen) after incredible scenes with venomous snakes and fire-spitting dragons playing havoc, the villain is put to rest. Special effects help in large part to make the movie credible and the villain’s over-acting is par to the course. Curses, revenge and superstition are part of the mix, and after 133 minutes, one is happy the curse is lifted, and all is normal in the world.

Produced by Walt Disney Studios, India, Zokkomon is an action-packed adventure about an ordinary boy who rises from despair to meet extraordinary challenges. It’s a story of a money-minded, heartless uncle, a crafty schoolmaster, gullible villagers and how suddenly a kid from a city, transplanted by the uncle to his village transforms his classmates into believing in themselves.

Kunal (Darsheel Safary, who played a dyslexic child in Taare Zameen Par) plays the orphaned boy and discovers how cruel life can be when he is abandoned by his uncle (Anupam Kher). Left to fend for himself, Kunal soon realizes the hero within himself and begins his epic journey of adventure and transformation to become Zokkomon.

He is assisted by an estranged “uncle” (also played by Anupam Kher), but this gentleman is more interested in science and gizmos such as telescopes, mikes and costumes and does not believe in villagers’ tales or mythical superstitions. Kunal reveres this “Magic” uncle and takes his help to avenge the villainous uncle and shady sycophants who run the village. Ghosts show up and so do unexpected sounds from still classrooms.

A fast movie (thanks to director, Satyajit Bhatkal) that even kids can relate to specially when they are making fun of adults and are held to account, the viewer doesn’t realize how 109 minutes pass by. Typically Disney’s summer fare tends to portray kids in better light than their scheming adults.

Manjari and Darsheel in Zokkomon

The scenes in a small village are quite authentic and Anupam Kher is as good as his billing in two roles – as the evil uncle with a wig and as a failed, but temperamental scientist. Kunal’s “Kittu didi” Manjari Fadnis (Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na, 2008) helps the young boy when in distress. An excellent movie for all ages as long as you have an open mind and believe in the magical.

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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Singham: Another Action Film About Cops and Bad Guys

Ultimate Bollywood » Bollywood Features » 2011

Raj reviews Singham, Ajay "Where are the muscles?" Devgn's latest release.
by Raj S. Rangarajan





Yet another story about good versus evil emerges in this latest film entitled Singham. The movie tells the story of a straightforward, diligent police inspector from Shivgad, a small village on the border of Maharashtra and Goa, confronting a villain from the city of Colva in Goa. The cop this time is Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn), a man with a conscience who aspires to end corruption and blackmail. He vows to bring back the honor of his predecessor, Rakesh Kadam who had killed himself with a bullet to his own head after being framed.

In his village, Singham likes to settle disputes with his unique, patient style and words of wisdom, resorting to force only when it becomes absolutely necessary. More often than not, goons in the neighborhood are his problem. Extortionist, Jaykant Shikre (Prakash Raj, Mozhi in Tamil and several other hits) virtually rules Goa with his scheming ways and terrorizes rich families, which somehow seems woefully normal these days in India. The antagonist becomes a successful politician.

Fight scenes, while predictable, are original; for the first time, I saw the do-gooder (read: Ajay, the hero) slam-dunk the bad guys on their foreheads with his bare flat hand -– almost like Michael Jordan punching into the hoop and adding an exclamation point to the proceedings. The only thing missing was a chest thumping like the NBA player. Singham's move seems to be the signature shot.

The original Singham in Tamil was released in May 2010 and actor Suriya, who was promoted then as the "dude with 6-pack abs" had played the Ajay role. Reportedly, Ajay pumped a lot of iron and added extra upper body strength to play the role with greater conviction. "Singham", in Tamil, means lion.

The female leads in both Tamil and Hindi versions are tall and fetching, but lanky Anushka Shetty, known for her roles in Tamil and Telugu films, did a better job as the Singham boyfriend than Kavya Bhosle (Kajal Aggarwal) in Hindi. In one revealing moment, Kavya pleads with Bajirao, her Prince Charming, to go get the goons and vindicate his honor for his own sake and for the sake of the cop who died at his post. In amorous scenes with Kavya, Ajay had problems expressing himself. His fiery Mars character didn't send the right signals to Kavya, the Venus identity.

Prakash Raj has matured into a crafty villain, and there's little wonder that he is invariably busy in many languages these days. His Marathi needs polishing but when the villain can communicate better in the vernacular with the aid of guns, one needs no tonal affectations. As expected, the hero uses a white SUV while the bad guy "challenges the lion" with his black SUV. As Jaykant Shikre's sidekick, Ashok Samarth (Krantiveer) gets a lot of play and longish lines in a cell.

Ashok Saraf, the comedy element, as Prabhu Bhawalkar is spot-on with his "angry young man" spiel. His humorous delivery relieves the tension for Singham (Ajay), especially when the 3-striped cop, due to retire in six months, philosophizes about the nexus between cops, crooked politicians, and corruption. Apart from Familywala (Hindi) released last year and Pandu Havaldar (1974), Ashok has starred in television serials Yeh Choti Badi Baatein and Hum Paanch.

Sonali Kulkarni (Megha Kadam) as the wronged wife of the cop who kills himself on his office chair has a cameo appearance. She could have been asked to do more, especially since she is talented.

"Action romance" is the genre for the film but it had virtually no romance while, admittedly, maintaining loads of action. Director Rohit Shetty has taken care of the fights admirably but could have let us more into the picturesque scenery that Goa offers--an ideal getaway from reality if you can spare two hours or more. Gripping action scenes matched by snappy dialogue keep one wanting more.

Sotheby’s: Indian Contemporary Art Sale Fizzles; Welch Sale Sizzles

by Raj S. Rangarajan


NEW YORK—Sotheby’s modern and contemporary South Asian art sale, on May 31 in London, met with lackluster interest from buyers. Of 60 lots offered, just 33 were sold. By value, the auction was 47 percent sold, achieving a total of £1.6 million ($2.7 million).
An oil on canvas, Rue des Fossés St Jacques, 1957, by Sayed Haider Raza (b. 1922), sold for £337,250 ($557,609), on an estimate of £300,000/500,000. The work shows a view from the studio window that Raza and his wife, painter Janine Mongillat, rented in Paris in the ’50s.
An untitled painting by Manjit Bawa (1941–2008) was bought by a trade buyer for £157,250 ($259,997), compared with an estimate of £100,000/150,000, and another by Bawa, also untitled, sold for £61,250 ($101,271), against an estimate of £50,000/70,000.
Two more untitled pieces, these by the recently deceased Maqbool Fida Husain (1915–2011), were bought by private U.S. buyers, one for £87,650 ($144,921), on an estimate of £50,000/70,000, the other for £63,650 ($105,239), compared with an estimate of £30,000/40,000.
Records at Auction of Welch Collection
Titled Arts of India, the second part of the sale of the Stuart Cary Welch collection of Islamic and Indian art was held at Sotheby’s London on May 31, realizing £8.4 million ($13.9 million); combined with the first part (held in April), total sales were £29.3 million ($48 million). The April sale had a sell-through rate of 96.2 percent by lot, while Arts of India posted sell-through rates of 98 percent by lot and 99.6 percent by value.
Welch (1928–2008), a curator of Islamic and Indian art at the Harvard Art Museum, was also a special consultant for the department of Islamic art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; he began collecting Indian art as a young boy.
The May sale saw an auction record for a Nepalese painting: Vasudhara Mandala, 1365, by Jasaraja Jirila, sold for £825,250 ($1.4 million), doubling the £300,000/400,000 estimate.
The top lot however, was Sri Bhairavi Devi with Shiva, ca. 1630–35, attributable to Payag, Mughal, which sold to a “North American institution,” for £1.4 million ($2.3 million), far higher than the £30,000/40,000 estimate.