Ack:- DNA India

One 26/7 clinched the biggest deal in contemporary art business, and the next 26/7 almost marred it. This 26/7, the deal is soaring high again.

A meeting on July 26, 2004, had resulted in the Rs100 crore-in-exchange-of-100 paintings deal between businessman Guru Swarup Srivastava and artist MF Husain. But the same day next year, it was almost washed away in the deluge.

Srivastava is on a real high despite the master painter having failed to meet the deadline for delivering 100 paintings—September 2005.

Happy that the artist was painting at his own pace, Srivastava told DNA, “The cost of each painting has already jumped four times. Many buyers from Europe and America have contacted us. We have kept the reserved price of each painting to Rs4.5 crore.�