Art & Entertainment
AstaGuru Unveils ‘Beyond Bold’ Contemporary Art Auction Featuring Diverse Collection by Renowned Artists
In its upcoming ‘Beyond Bold’ Contemporary Art Auction, AstaGuru is set to present a diverse collection of artworks by renowned contemporary artists such as Subodh Gupta, Nalini Malani, Jitish Kallat, Nataraj Sharma, Valay Shende, Suryakant Lokhande, Ranbir Singh Kaleka, Raqib Shaw, Ravinder Reddy, Surendran Nair, Bose Krishnamachari, N.S. Harsha, Jagannath Panda, T.V. Santhosh, Sudhir Patwardhan, and others.
The meticulously curated catalog features over 100 pieces across various mediums, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and mixed media art, providing a comprehensive snapshot of current art trends and offering insights into the future of contemporary art. The auction is slated to take place on December 16-17, 2023.
Talking about the upcoming auction, Simone Mody, Curatorial Specialist, AstaGuru Auction House, says: “We take great pleasure in presenting this extraordinary collection of works by prominent artists who are redefining the narrative of Indian art in the modern era. Rooted in their unique histories and cultural backgrounds, these experiential creations embody a distinctive fusion of personal and universal elements. They reflect the abundant diversity of contemporary Indian art, not only in terms of subject matter but also through a wide spectrum of styles and techniques. Moreover, these artists’ unconventional use of materials introduces an innovative aesthetic dimension to the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art in India. These experimental practices have consistently piqued the interest of collectors seeking to diversify their art collections. We eagerly anticipate lively bidding on the day of the auction.
” Leading the auction highlight is lot no. 58, a vibrant creation by internationally renowned artist Subodh Gupta. Titled ‘Pink,’ the presented lot is a work from 2008 executed with scores of steel tongs. While at first glance, the installation’s attractive colour and form may resemble a cheerleader’s pompom or party decoration but is actually made of thousands of pincers or chimtas used in one’s kitchen.
Staying true to his philosophy of transforming everyday objects into works of art, in this large-scale installation he astonishes the viewer by completely altering the preconceived attributes of the base object. It is estimated to be acquired at INR 60,00,000 – 80,00,000. A work from Nataraj Sharma’s Swimmer Manual series, lot no.44, is estimated to sell at INR 30,00,000 – 40,00,000. Standing at the intersection of the modern era, his art practice is influenced by a multiplicity of experiences and, in essence, offers incisive commentary about the complex relationship between humans, landscapes, and urbanization.
Adoring the auction catalog is a work titled ‘Angelo’s Sanctuary,’ by artist Ranbir Singh Kaleka, who is well known for his complex compositions often depicting human figures and animals, rendered in a style that is both dream-like and surreal. Executed in the medium of oil on linen, is expected to sell at INR 5,00,000 – 7,00,000. Lot no. 79 is a creation by artist Vibha Galhotra, who focuses on the context of displacement, nostalgia, identity, existence, construction or deconstruction, the banal cultural condition, around the environment of negotiations in the new constantly changing urban atmosphere. Executed with nickel-coated ghunghroos and fabric, the beautiful work is expected to sell at INR 20,00,000 – 30,00,000. The auction also presents a range of works by other women contemporary artists, including Nalini Malani, Rekha Rodwittiya, Mithu Sen, Shilpa Gupta, Schandra Singh, Meetali Singh, Nidhi Agarwal, Vasundhara Tewari Broota, Kalpana Shah, Zimbri, Yashika Sugnadh, Jayashree Chakravarty.
Two important creations by artist Surendran Nair are also among the significant offerings in the auction. Often revolving around distinct protagonists, his vibrant and visually charged canvases are rich with metaphors. Lot no. 1, executed with oil on canvas in 2005 is a part of his Cuckoonebulopolis series. It is estimated to sell at INR 20,00,000 – 30,00,000. Lot no. 90 showcases Nair’s unique synthesis of classical and contemporary through a blend of modern imagery with iconography from Indian and Greek art and mythology. Executed with oil on canvas in 2002, this work is expected to be acquired at INR 20,00,000 – 30,00,000. Lot no. 6 is a beautiful signature-style creation by artist Raqib Shaw.
Executed with oil, acrylic, glitter, enamel and rhinestones on birchwood, the work is a brilliant example of Shaw’s multifarious influences, ranging from mythology and religion to poetry, literature, art history, textiles and decorative arts from both Eastern and Western traditions. It is estimated to sell at INR 20,00,000 – 25,00,000.
The auction will present several creations by artist Suryakant Lokhande. Lot no. 16 is a captivating rendition of Lord Krishna playing the flute by artist Suryakant Lokhande. Executed in his distinctive style and preferred medium of high gloss oil on canvas, the large-scale painting reaching five feet, exudes an aura of vivacity and draws the viewers to Krishna’s musical enchantment. This work is estimated to sell at INR 10,00,000 – 15,00,000. A sculpture by the artist, lot no 51, is also expected to fetch a similar sale price. Lot no. 74 is an untitled sculpture by artist L N Tallur and is expected to be acquired at INR 15,00,000 – 20,00,000.
An international contemporary artist of Indian origin, L N Tallur executed works inspired by various themes ranging from the rural influences he had while growing up and those that he was exposed to and acquired while traversing across the globe. Two important sculptures by famous artist Valay Shende are also being showcased. Taking on the form of two superheroes, lot no 11 is a rendition of Spiderman, while lot no. 110 is a Hulk frozen in a pose. Executed in his signature style with stainless steel discs, each of the lots is estimated to sell at INR 20,00,000 – 30,00,000. Seven also sculptural creations by artists, including Jayanta Bhattacharya, Dhananjay Singh, Shovin Bhattacharjee, Ravinder Reddy, Phaneendra Nath Chaturvedi, K R Nariman, Akhil Chandra Das, among others. About AstaGuru AstaGuru Auction House was conceptualized in the year 2008 with the sole purpose of creating a safe and secure platform to conduct online auctions for contemporary & modern Indian art.
Over the years, AstaGuru has curated auctions encompassing diverse categories, our portfolio includes art, jewelry, fine silver, timepieces, textiles, celebrity memorabilia, rare books, numismatic, philately and vintage cars. In 2018, AstaGuru became the first Indian auction house to present an exclusive edition for vintage and classic cars. “AstaGuru has strived to successfully bridge the gap between prospective buyers and consignors by transcending the limitations of live auctions. AstaGuru imparts effortless transparency to the process of acquiring and selling art and rare collectibles. The online module offers bidders the opportunity to bid from the comfort of their houses or while they are on the go.
For more information, please log on to https://www.astaguru.com/ Facebook: @Astaguru | Instagram: @astaguru | X: @astagurutweets
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"The Mummy," the 2017 Tom Cruise action-horror film widely regarded as among the largest theatrical failures in his filmography, has emerged as one of Prime Video’s top-performing films, according to reports tracking the platform’s charts. One report placed the film at the 10th spot on Prime Video’s top movies list.
The film was meant to launch Universal’s "Dark Universe," a planned shared cinematic world built around the studio’s classic monster properties. That plan collapsed after "The Mummy" opened to poor reviews and underwhelming domestic box office, and no further Dark Universe films followed.
The streaming resurgence comes as Cruise’s own on-screen monster-movie history draws fresh attention: reports note the film is being rediscovered by viewers nearly a decade after its theatrical run, arriving on Prime Video after what one report described as an underwhelming box office performance at the time. Cruise starred as Nick Morton alongside Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis, and Sofia Boutella, who played the title character.
It isn’t clear what’s driving the renewed interest, whether algorithmic promotion, nostalgia, or simple curiosity about a film best remembered for its failed franchise ambitions. Prime Video has not issued a statement explaining the title’s chart position, and no viewership numbers have been made public.
The film’s climb echoes a broader pattern: other theatrical disappointments, including a 2020s Gerard Butler action film, have found similar second lives on streaming platforms long after their box office runs ended.
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Art & Entertainment
Netflix’s October 2026 Slate: ‘East of Eden’ Adaptation, Ben Affleck Thriller, ‘Diplomat’ Season 4
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
Netflix’s October 2026 lineup centers on a handful of high-profile originals: Florence Pugh leads the cast in this new adaptation of the classic Steinbeck novel, Ben Affleck and Gillian Anderson star in this political thriller, and "The Diplomat," an Emmy-nominated drama, returns for season four.
The month’s release calendar, detailed in an industry preview, spans more than twenty titles across scripted drama, documentary, anime, reality and international programming, reflecting Netflix’s now-standard approach of pairing a few marquee originals with a steady stream of licensed catalog titles and global-market series aimed at different audience segments.
The Steinbeck adaptation, a limited series titled "East of Eden," casts Pugh as Cathy Ames and arrives October 1 as one of the platform’s more literary bets of the fall. It lands alongside a wave of licensed films that same day, including "Ad Astra," "The Devil Wears Prada," "The Sixth Sense," "Pearl Harbor" and multiple seasons of "NCIS" — the kind of familiar-title bulk that typically pads a month’s new-content count alongside the originals.
October 9 brings "Animals," a political thriller starring Affleck and Anderson about a mayoral candidate and his wife drawn into dangerous territory after their son’s kidnapping, according to the preview and a trailer that has circulated separately. The same week, October 8, brings "Below," a six-episode supernatural thriller starring Josh Hartnett set in a coastal town terrorized by something in the water — a project Netflix has also been promoting through its own trailer release.
Tyler Perry returns October 2 with "Doing Life," a romantic drama starring Naomi Baker and Jay Reeves. It will be Perry’s eighth feature made for Netflix, following titles including "A Fall from Grace," "A Jazzman’s Blues" and "Mea Culpa," continuing a production relationship between Perry and the platform that dates back several years.
Keri Russell reprises her role in "The Diplomat" season four on October 15, continuing the well-received original series. Also on the documentary side: "Lorne," director Morgan Neville’s look at "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels, featuring interviews with Tina Fey, Conan O’Brien, Maya Rudolph and Chris Rock, out October 5, and "Schumacher ’94 — The Birth of a Legend," chronicling Michael Schumacher’s 1994 Formula 1 title run, out October 2.
The rest of the slate leans international and genre-specific: a Korean fantasy-horror series ("Dead-End Job"), a German psychological thriller ("The Trap"), a Filipino horror-mystery ("Balaraw: Blood Island"), a Polish biographical drama about rock musician Jan Borysewicz ("Less of a Stranger"), and returning anime and reality titles including "Blue Box" season two and "Love Village" season three.
Netflix has not published an official release calendar for the month as of this writing; scheduling for later-October titles beyond October 15 was not detailed in the available preview.
Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective
Literary adaptations and prestige limited series represent a deliberate bet by streaming platforms that quality and cultural weight still matter to subscribers—that not everyone optimizes for quantity alone. This taps into a deeper hunger: the desire to feel like a viewing choice was *earned* rather than merely convenient, especially when a book like "East of Eden" carries decades of classroom authority and critical standing.
In practice, this strategy appears most valuable at moments of subscriber churn or price increases. A household genuinely torn between services may stay for a prestige drama they can discuss at work or defend to skeptical family members—"we’re watching the Steinbeck adaptation"—in ways a fourth reality dating show cannot match. Awards nominations amplify this effect: an Emmy or Golden Globe nomination becomes free marketing that whispers "this matters."
The constraint here is that prestige does not automatically translate to viewership at scale. A critically adored limited series may underperform the analytics of a mid-tier reality show, making it harder to justify the cost to shareholders. Netflix’s preview itself suggests these titles anchor a broader, more eclectic slate—they’re not the whole strategy, just the visible crown jewel.
The most useful way to interpret this may be not as Netflix suddenly becoming a literary platform, but as a company recognizing that different subscriber segments value different legitimacy markers. A Florence Pugh adaptation and a Tyler Perry romantic drama coexist because they’re solving different retention problems for different viewers.
From the Editor — Harry Johal
"That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings." — F. Scott Fitzgerald
I was scrolling through release schedules on my phone this morning—the kind of thing you do while your coffee cools—when I landed on Florence Pugh cast as Cathy Ames. "East of Eden" on Netflix in October. And Fitzgerald’s line came to mind: "You discover that your longings are universal longings."
It stopped me. Because what Netflix is really doing here, underneath all the slate announcements and subscriber retention math, is banking on exactly that discovery. They’re not just releasing a Steinbeck adaptation. They’re releasing permission—permission to sit with a story that millions of readers before you sat with, to feel what they felt, to ask the same questions about ambition and corruption and family that Steinbeck asked seventy years ago.
That’s the real hunger. Not for more content. For confirmation that what moves you isn’t private or small. That your longing to understand cruelty, or redemption, or the weight of a name—these aren’t quirks. They’re human. Universal.
A prestige adaptation doesn’t guarantee viewership. The analytics don’t always justify the cost. But it does something subtler: it reminds people that they’re not alone in what they want to watch, what they want to feel, what they want to *mean* by choosing one story over another. In a world that treats everything as convenience, that reminder matters more than most things Netflix will release that month. Maybe more than Netflix knows.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
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