The 2016 Quiz

It has been some time, since I posted a full fledged quiz. After a long time, doing a Quiz on 2016, the events, the places, the persons. So here is wishing a Happy New Year in advance, and these are the 15 questions for you. Posting the answers and scores here.

1)

• Another pronunciation of   Japan’s original name.
• The City of Moscow
• The State of Tennesse
• Russian physicist Yuri Oganessian, who discovered the heaviest elements in the periodic table.

What connected the above in 2016?

The 4 New Elements discovered- Nihonium, Moscovium, Tennesium and Oganessium.

2) Andy Weir, the son of a particle physicist and a computer programmer himself began work on this book in 2009. He studied orbital mechanics, astronomy and history of  nabbed spaceflight to make his novel as realistic as possible. Rejected by publishers, he began to put it up on his website, one chapter at a time in a serial format. When he put the novel on Kindle for just 99 cents, it soon went on to become one of the best selling science fiction titles there. He finally sold it to Crown Publishers for 100,000 $.  Made into a top grossing Hollywood movie, it won awards at Golden Globes and was a Oscar nominee too. Identify.

The movie was The Martian

3)This word is derived from a Latin word meaning to return, as also from a French word meaning to come back. It refers to a visible ghost or animated corpse, that is believed to have returned from the grave to unleash terror. It became noticed in 2016, in relation to an awards ceremony. Which one?

Revenant, Best Picture Oscar winner.

4) Apart from being known for his singing and music skills, he was also an actor of note. His first major role was as alien in the 1976 movie The Man Who Fell to Earth. He later got noticed as a gigolo in the 1979 movie Just a Gigolo. He declined the offer to play the role of Max Zorin in the 1985 Bond movie A View to Kill. Some of his other famous roles include a Goblin King, Pontius Pilate and Nikola Tesla. Identify this famous singer cum actor who passed away in 2016.

David Bowie

5) On Jan 9, 2016, the notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was captured by the Mexican cops after a bloody raid. Rolling Stone announced that this Hollywood actor along with actress Kate Del Castillo had conducted a secret interview with the drug lord. The reason was that the actor was interested in making a biopic on the notorious drug lord, and it was Del Castillo who arranged the interview. Which actor?

Sean Penn

6) Born in a working class family in West London, he was excellent at calligraphy and water color painting. He ran a successful design studio called Graphitti, and after 3 years he decided to pursue a career in acting. He worked primarily with experimental theater appearing in the stage adaptation of  Dangerous Liasions. He was mentioned in AFI’s 100 Villians list for his role in a cult action flick of the 90s. He also played the romantic lead in movies like Sense and Sensibility and Truly, Madly and Deeply. The perfect male voice was found to be a combination of his and his British counterpart Jeremy Irons voice. Identify this actor who passed away in 2016.

Alan Rickman of Die Hard fame.

7) AlphaGo a computer program developed by Google DeepMind, beat the reigning champion Fan Hui. This was the first ever instance of Artificial Intelligence defeating a professional player in this abstract strategy board game from China. Which game.

GO, a Chinese Strategy board

8) In ancient times this city was called as Khalibon, and Beroea by the Greeks and Romans, It’s original name derived from a word meaning Iron or Copper, is also it’s current Arabic name. It was mentioned as Halab in the old Babylonian, Assyrian empires. During the Hittite period it was the center of worship of the Storm God. The city was conquered by Alexander in 333 BC. It became the seat of an independent Arab emirate, under Sayf Al Daula and in 1138 was razed by an earthquake. Name this city, that was in the news during the later part of 2016.

Aleppo

9) This British newspaper was published for the first time in 1986 and founded by Andreas Smith, Stephen Glover, Matthew Symonds all of them ex journalists at the Daily Telegraph. It was launched with a slogan “It is.Are you?”, a reference to it’s name too. It positioned itself as a middle of the road newspaper, challenging the Guardian’s Left centric view and the Times. In 2010 it was sold to Russian billionaire, Alexander Lebedev for a nominal fee of just 1 pound. In 2016, it was announced that no print edition of the paper would be published, and it would be available only in the digital format. Which one?

Independent

10)

Born in Allesandria in the Piedmont region of Italy, his family name is apparently an acronym of a Latin term meaning “A Gift from the Heavens”. He graduated from the University of Turin in Medieval Philosophy and Literature, writing a thesis on Thomas Aquinas. An atheist, he left the Catholic Church, worked for the state broadcasting corporation as a cultural editor. His acquaintance with many avant garde artists, writers, painters influenced his thinking and his writing too. Known for his work on semiotics, he often argued that literary texts are fields of meaning, in that they are understood as open, dynamic, psychologically engaged. His first novel was a historical mystery set in a 14th century Italian monastery, and was made into a movie too later. Identify the author who passed away in 2016.

Umberto Eco

11) Located around 11 km from Srinagar, this place is known for it’s saffron fields, on the eastern side of Jhelum. Called the Saffron Town of Kashmir, it was in the news in 2016 for a standoff between the Indian Army  and LET terrorists, that led to death of 5 soldiers and 4 terrorists. Which one?

Pampore

12) Whitfield Diffie a long time employee of Sun Microsystems, and Vice President for some time at ICANN. Martin Hellman an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT, and later at Stanford. Together they published a 1976 paper New Directions in _______.  In 2016 they were given the Turing Award for invention of ________ which was a revolution in the field of computer security. Identify.

Cryptography, Cryptographic Keys

13)  The city’s name means “Junction City” roughly in Arabic. Located on the Tigris, the other side of the river is believed to contain the ancient Assyrian capital of Nineveh. It is also called as Al-Faiha, Al-Khadrah. It was under the rule of the Sassanids, Rashidun Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate and the native Hamdanid Dynasty. From 1517 to 1918, it was under the control of the Ottoman Empire, and it developed well due to it’s location on the trade route. During the US Invasion of Iraq in 2003, it was the city where Saddam Hussein’s sons Uday and Qusay were killed in a gun battle. Occupied by ISIS since 2014, the city saw the largest deployment of Iraqi forces after 2003, to retake it in an ongoing battle. Which one?

Mosul

14)

Identify this iconic footballer who passed away in 2016.

Johann Cryuff

15) This drug was in the news due to a series of high profile doping cases by athletes in 2016, including Maria Sharapova and many prominent Russian athletes. It’s chemical name is 3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydraziniumyl) propionate. Was banned by WADA since Jan 1,2016 classifying the drug as a metabolic modulator. The drug is manufactured by Grindeks a Lativan pharma company, as a treatment for heart conditions. Which one?

Meldonium

The scores

Raghu-15

Sudev-11

Kaushik-15

Anil Raghavan-15

 

 

Republic Day Quiz-2015

Since 2009, I have been hosting a special Republic Day Quiz on India, on this blog. The Quiz is dedicated to India, a country, about which the more you know, the less you still know. Earlier editions of this quiz have been here, you can check them out at RD Quiz:2009, RDQuiz:2010, RDQuiz:20111, RDQuiz:2012  RDQuiz:2013 and the latest RDQuiz:2014.  Thanks all for the replies.

1)  He started his career as an actor, playing the lead role in movies like Umang, and smaller roles in Aaradhana and Tarang. He acted in a whole lot of Punjabi movies too as hero, however most of them were flops. He made his debut as a director for a 1976 crime thriller, which was rejected by many producers, before being taken up by N.N.Sippy. The movie went on to become a blockbuster hit, and it also made the leading hero a star in his own right,who till then was known more as a villian and a supporting actor. It also made him one of Bollywood’s leading directors and he later launched the careers of many leading stars too. Who?

SUBASH GHAI

2) This was the first computer developed in India  at  TIFR, Mumbai, started in 1957 and finally comissioned in 1960. It had 2700 vaccum tubes, 1700 germanium diodes, 12,500 resistors. And it’s memory capacity was 2,048 40 word  bits of  memory. Name this.

TIFRAC

3)

Identify the singer, born in Gadag, Karnataka, his father authored a Kannada-English dictionary. He would often be away from home for  a long time, following processions by musical bands, in his childhood days. He first received his training under Agasara Chanappa of Kurtakoti, where he learnt Bhairav and Bhimpalasi. In 1933, he left for Bijpapur, and from there on travelled to Pune and finally Gwalior, trying to find a suitable guru, before he was tracked down by his father and bought home. He finally began to learn under noted musician Sawai Gandharva, and his debut album was released in 1942. He also sang for the movies Basant Bahar, Tansen, Ankahee and the Kannada movie Nodi Swaami Naavu Irodhu Hegge, where he rendered a famous Purandaradasa composition. Identify.

BHIMSEN JOSHI

4) Moirang is a small town in the Bishnupur district of Manipur, located close to the Loktak lake and the Keibul Lamjao National Park. On 14 April 1944, this place became associated with the freedom struggle in India for an event that occured here. It was a first of it’s kind, what happened here?

FIRST TIME THE TRICOLOR WAS HOISTED ON INDIAN SOIL

5) Col Hugh Toye, was a British intelligence officer, who led one of the largest man hunts ever, to capture X, regarded by the British as a major threat. While Toye failed in capturing his quarry, he later wrote a book The Springing Tiger about the manhunt and his quarry, where he expressed his admiration for his enemy.  Who?

NETAJI SUBASH CHANDRA BOSE

6) His father was a midfielder in the Indian hockey team that won the bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics, while his mother was a captain of the Indian basketball team at the 1980 Asian basketball championships. He also happens to be a direct descendant of the famous Bengali poet, Michael Madhusudhan Dutt,  from his mother’s side. He recently made his debut as an actor in the 2013 movie Rajdhani Express. Who?

LEANDER PAES

7) It is shaped in the form of a Peepal leaf, about 59 mm  long, 48 mm  wide and 3.2 mm thick and rimmed in platinum. The embossed sun burst design, also made of platinum, on the obverse side of the medal has a diameter of 16 mm with rays spreading out from 21 mm to 13 mm from the center of the Sun.On the reverse side is Satyameva Jayate, A 2-inch-wide white ribbon is attached to the medal so it can be worn around the neck.  What is this?

BHARAT RATNA

8)

Identify the flag of this princely kingdom, that currently lies between the Aravali range to the Northwest, Ajmer to the north,  Vagad region to South and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh to South East. It was believed to have been founded by Bappa Rawal, and it’s ruling deity is Eklingji,  a form of Lord Shiva.

MEWAR, THOUGH UDAIPUR, CHITTORGARH WOULD ALSO DO

9)

Identify the famous Bengali novelist, short story teller in the above photograph. Though born in Debnandapur, he did most of his studies at Bhagalpur, where he grew up and many of his novels were based on his experiences there. He also took up Sanyas for some time, and Mandir was his first published short story. Many of his novels have been adapted into movies, though he is more famous for creating an iconic character, whose name has become a not so complimentary synonym. Who?

SARAT CHANDRA CHATTOPADHYAYA

10) This was supposed to be one of the 5 cities founded by the Pandavas in Mahabharat, others being Indraprastha, Sonaprastha, Bahakprastha, Tilprastha, and was originally called Panduprastha. It is also called “City of Weavers”, and a major center now for textiles and carpets. The city is more famous for 3 events that occurred here on 1526, 1556 and 1761, that are considered a turning point in Indian history.  Name the place.

PANIPAT

Scores

Narendran-6

Karthik Balaji-9

Ramana-10

Jyothi Mohan-5

Prateek-8

Anil Raghavan-10

Sangram Banerjee-10

Arun-10

 

Republic Day Quiz-2014

Since 2009, I have been hosting a special Republic Day Quiz on India, on this blog. The Quiz is dedicated to India, a country, about which the more you know, the less you still know. Earlier editions of this quiz have been here, you can check them out at RD Quiz:2009, RDQuiz:2010, RDQuiz:20111, RDQuiz:2012 and the latest RDQuiz:2013.Request do not google please, most of the answers can be worked out.

1)  This community was believed to have descended from Chitragupta, the assistant to Lord Yamaraj. They were generally considered a community of scribes, good for administrative and official work. During the ancient period, they formed the bulk of the public services in India, while during the Mughal rule, they mastered Persian, and played a major role as revenue collectors and officials.  This trait enabled them to become the major part of the administrative services in India, under the British Raj, though there has been a good number of luminaries from this community.  Who?

KAYASTHAS.

2)  Born in Bhera, Punjab( currently in Pakistan), his passion for engineering was developed in his maternal grandfather’s home, where he also learnt poetry. An active member of the theatrical group in his college, he also wrote an Urdu one act play called Karamati. After his studies in England, he joined the Benaras Hindu University  in 1921 as a Chemistry professor, where he also wrote the university’s song called Kulgeet. He made great contributions in the field of magneto chemistry too. His book on magneto chemistry along with K.N.Mathur is regarded as a standard text on the subject.  Identify this great scientist, poet and visionary, after whom an award is named too.

SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR

3) This religious movement was founded in the 16th century, and originated in the Bengal region, and was named after the older name for Bengal.  It’s main philosophical foundation is the Bhagavat Gita and the Bhagavata Purana,  as well as the other Upanishads like Isha, Gopala Tarani and Kali Santarana.  The worship of Radha and Krishna and considering the many forms of Vishnu, as incarnations of one supreme God, adipurusha is their tradition. Who?

GAUDIYA VASIHNAVISM

4)

This temple built in 1092 by the Kachwaha Rajput ruler , Mahipala, was named after Lord Vishnu’s 1000 armed form. Located near Gwalior,  it is actually a complex of  two temples, the larger one dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and the smaller one, built by the King’s daughter in law to Lord Shiva. The name of this temple has over the years been corrupted to a more familiar word in Hindi too, which in a way explains the history of the two temples side by side too. Identify.

IT WAS SAHASRA BAHU TEMPLE, LATER CORRUPTED TO SAAS BAHU TEMPLES.

5) The second largest wetland in India’s ecosystem, this lake in Kerala, gets it’s name from a word meaning 8 cones. So called because of the multiple branches emanating from the lake, it has also been called the gateway to Kerala’s famed backwaters.  It was also in the news in 1988 for a rather unsavory incident too. Name this.

ASHTAMUDI LAKE

6) This landmark Hindi novel, was written by Devaki Nandan Khatri, and published in 1888. Combining fantasy and a love story, the novel centers around two fictional kingdoms, Vijaygarh and Naugarh. It also introduced the concept of Aiyar/Aiyara, a male or female spy, who is an expert in many martial arts. Also made into a TV series on Doordarshan during the 90’s.

CHANDRAKANTA

7)

Born in Srinagar in 1920, he later graduated from the University of Lahore,  and did his engineering from the University of Minneapolis.  He later did his Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Cal Tech, where his adviser was Hans Liepmann. Joining as a Faculty at IISc, Bangalore, he later became it’s director in 1962.  His work in the Boundary Theory has won international recognition,  and he also set up India’s first supersonic wind tunnel at IISc. Also regarded as the father of experimental fluid dynamics in India, he is more recognized for his work in India’s space program.

SATISH DHAWAN, AFTER WHOM THE SPACE CENTER IN SRIHARIKOTA IS NAMED.

8) This Indian actress was the daughter of  Master Vinayak, a well known actor and director, in Marathi cinema. Born in Kolhapur, she began her career as a child actress to support the family, after her father’s death.  Her first major break came in the 1956 movie Toofan aur Diya, through her paternal uncle V.Shantaram. The title role in L.V.Prasad’s Choti Bahen,  put her on the track to stardom,  and she was one of the major star heroines during the 60’s and early 70’s.

NANDA

9)  This festival is celebrated in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and is the equivalent of Makar Sankranti there. Sikhs observe this in honor of the Chali Mukthe, 40 soldiers, who gave up their lives defending an attack by the Imperial Mughal Army. The Mela held at Muktsar during this festival is well known.

MAGH MUKHTSAR MELA( Got a lot of Lohri answers, but this was what I was looking for).

10) This musical instrument gets it’s name from a Sanksrit word meaning 100 stringed veena.  Used primarily by Sufi musicians, and folk musicians in Kashmir.  Shaped like a trapezoid, it is made either from walnut or maple wood. It is played sitting in the ardha padmasana position, placed on one’s lap.

SANTOOR

The scores are

Naveen-5

Sampradhika-8

Deepak Taneja-7

Kranti Kumar-10

Kireet-9

 

50 years of 007-II

It has been 50 years since the first James Bond movie, Dr.No was released. Since then over the last 50 years, the spy with the tuxedo, who loves his martini stirred but not shaken, has enthralled viewers with a mixture of Guns, Gadgets and Girls. This quiz is the 2nd part of a tribute to Bond Movies. The first part can be checked out at 50 years of 007-I. 

The answers and scores as follows.

1) This Bond villain was born in a traveling circus, his father a ringmaster, and ex Cuban, while his mother was a snake charmer. He became an assassin, when he was just 15, and is believed to have a 3rd nipple too. He lives on his own personal island, somewhere off the south east coast of China.  The character was played by an actor, who in real life was also Ian Fleming’s step cousin. Name the character as well as the actor( No part points, I need both).

FRANCISCO SCARAMANGA, CHRISTOPHER LEE.

2)

This sports car was  launched in 1975, and produced in 1976.  They replaced the previous Europa model, the original name intended for this series was Kiwi, but then in keeping with the tradition of having all their model names, start with ‘E’ it was later revised. The car became famous when it featured in a 70’s Bond movie. Name the car model and movie( No part points, need both).

LOTUS ESPIRIT, made famous in the movie THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.

3) Richard Kiel is best known for the role of Jaws in the Bond series, with his giant build and metal tooth, the build being a result of a hormonal deficiency. Prior to his role in The Spy Who Loved Me, Kiel also played a similar role of a hitman with metal teeth in a 70’s action comedy movie, set aboard a moving train. Name that movie.

That movie was SILVER STREAK.

4) 

This scene was rated by critics as one of the cheesiest ever in a Bond movie. Just name the movie.

This was from MOONRAKER.

5) Gioacchino Colombo is most famous for designing the initial engines for Ferrari, specifically the Ferrari 125, which was a favorite of Ian Fleming. This character was named in tribute to him, and in the movie he is shown to have a love for pistachios. He is an ex associate of the main villain in this movie, and later becomes a steadfast ally of  Bond. Name the movie.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.

6) Octopussy was one of the short stories in this collection by Ian Fleming, which was titled Octopussy and ___________.  The other short stories were ___________, Property of a Lady and 007 in New York. __________ was also called as Trigger Fingers, and later adapted into another 007 movie. Identify.

IT WAS THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS.

7)  In the movie, this character is the product of Nazi medical experiments, where pregnant women were injected with massive quantities of steroids to create “super children”. He was one of the few kids who survived, became extraordinarily intelligent and also psychotic.  He also gets his horses doped before races to make them win, and a Linux OS is named after this Bond villain. Who?

MAX  ZORIN

8)

Identify this palace near Udaipur, where Octopussy was shot. Named after the ruler who built it, it has a more popular name too, and equally famous for the wildlife sanctuary around it.

MONSOON  PALACE IN UDAIPUR.

9) During WWII, the Allies came up with Operation __________  to monitor Spain for any possible alliance between General Franco and the Axis powers.  Ian Fleming was the Lt. Commander of the Naval Intelligence Division, who formulated the plan. Identify.

This was OPERATION GOLDENEYE.

10) The character of the drug lord  Franz Sanchez in the 1989 Bond flick License To Kill, had a physical resemblance to a notorious Latin American despot, whose regime, was marked by wide spread allegations of drug trafficking and money laundering. Who?

MANUEL NORIEGA, THE PANAMIAN DICTATOR.

Thanks for response.

Scores

Ram Kiran-8

Geoff Hendricks-7

Sriram-3

Rakshabandhan special-The brother/sister quiz

Rakshabandhan or Rakhi as you call it, the festival that celebrates brother-sister bonding.  Where the sister ties the Rakhi to the brother, in the hope that he protects her, and showers his blessings on her. On the occasion of  Rakshabandhan, a special Quiz on some well known brother-sisters in history and myth.

1. Krishna Hutheesingh,  was a freedom fighter herself married in to a prominent Ahmedabad Jain family. Her husband later opposed her more famous brother, and  was one of the founders of the Swaraj Party along with Rajaji in 1959.  She was a writer herself, and documented the life of her brother as well as her niece in a series of books.  Name her more famous brother and other sister.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  IT WAS  JAWAHARLAL NEHRU AND VIJAYALAKSHMI PANDIT
2. Nalini Singh is well known as an anchor on several Doordarshan programs, also known for her program Aankhon Dekhi. In 2003 she launched the Indo-Nepal channel Nepal One, and also holds the post of Managing Editor, IBN7. Her brother is an equally distinguished journalist, thinker,writer and has also served as Cabinet Minister at the Central level.  Who is he?                          ARUN SHOURIE
3. Some credit the origin of this festival  observed after Diwali, to Yama visiting his sister Yami, reason why it is also called as Yama Dwitiya. And some versions state that it is observed to Krishna visiting his sister Subhadra, after slaying the demon Narakasur, and she welcomed him with sweets and flowers.  Generally observed after Diwali, and similiar to Raksha Bandhan,  it is called as Ningbol Chabuka in Manipur.  Just give me any of the popular names of this festival.                                                                          BHAI DOOJ/ BHAI POTA IS WHAT THE FESTIVAL IS CALLED.
4. 
   Just identify this brother -sister duo, a famous pop group of the 80’s.                                                                                                    NAZIA AND ZOHEB  HASSAN, THE FAMOUS POP DUO OF DISCO DEEWANE FAME
5. A  was named after a famous yesteryear’s actress,  made her debut in Alfred Hitchcock’s  The Trouble With Harry, and is known for her beliefs in reincarnation, spirituality.  Her brother B, produced and acted in a 1967 movie, that is regarded as one of the harbingers of the new wave of film making in Hollywood, and won an Oscar in 1981 for a movie based on the life of a journalist covering the Russian Revolution.  A  had won an Oscar in 1983 for a comedy drama about a mother and daughter, making them one of the few siblings to have won an Oscar.  Identify A and B.                                                                                                        A-SHIRLEY TEMPLE AND HER BROTHER B WAS WARREN BEATTY
6. A is the son of a well known director and screen writer, and shot to fame with a 2001 sci fi movie, that has achieved cult status in recent times.  The sci fi movie also starred his real life sister B,  who also played his elder sister in that movie. In 2005, he was also nominated for his role in a Western about two gays. His sister shot into fame later with a 2002 black comedy Secretary, and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress  in a 2009 drama about a country singer that won it’s lead the Best Actor.  Identify this brother-sister pair.                                                                                                                                                                                                JAKE AND MAGGIE GYLENNHAL  WAS THE BROTHER SISTER PAIR
7. The original draft of this book was about  4 children whose names were Ann, Martin, Rose and Peter, and it focused on the youngest Peter.  The revised version however had Peter as the eldest of the siblings, the others being Susan, Lucy and Edmund.  Their family name is from a medieval castle on the Southeast coast of England.  The book was the first in a series, that to date remains a popular children’s series.  Just name the series of books.                                                                                                           THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
8. A and B are brothers  whose more famous uncle happens to be Pandit Jasraj.  A and B also formed a succesful music duo in Bollywood primarily during the 90’s.  A’s  elder sister C,  was a well known actress during the 70’s, and 80’s, and also made her mark as a singer in that period. Their other sister D, made her debut in an 80’s romantic drama, that was primarily the launch pad for a star son, and she later went on to be a successful actress in her own right.  Identify A,B,C,D.                                                 A-JATIN PANDIT, B-LALIT PANDIT, C-SULAKSHANA PANDIT D-VIJETA  PANDIT
9.   Ross Emerson is best known in cricketing circles, as being the umpire who repeatedly called Muthaiah Muralitharan for throwing, which made Arjuna Ranatunga walk off the field in protest.  His wife Denise Emerson also played Test cricket for Australia. Who was Denise’s more famous brother, who represented Australia in Test, and played a vital role in their 1989 Ashes victor, taking around 40 wickets?                                                                                                                                                                                              THIS  WAS TERRY ALDERMAN
10. Brother David ____________,  appeared in a whole lot of 90’s movies like Never Been Kissed, Airheads, though his most famous appearances have been as Dy. Dewey Riley in the Scream series.  Sister Rosanna __________ co starred with Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan, and later starred in Silverado.  Their more famous sister was noted for her role in a 1993 crime comedy cum romantic drama,  and later starred in movies like Ed Wood and Lost Highway. Who?                                                    THIS  WAS PATRICIA  ARQUETTE

SCORES

• Anuradha Sridhar-5.5
• Subhorop-7
• Sayantan-7

50 years of 007-I

It has been 50 years since the first James Bond movie, Dr.No was released. Since then over the last 50 years, the spy with the tuxedo, who loves his martini stirred but not shaken, has enthralled viewers with a mixture of Guns, Gadgets and Girls. This quiz is a tribute to the James Bond movies.

1)  In an interview by Maurice Binder in 1991 he states- “That was something I did in a hurry, because I had to get to a meeting with the producers in twenty minutes. I just happened to have little white, price tag stickers and I thought I’d use them as gun shots across the screen. —-.That was about a twenty-minute storyboard I did, and they said, “This looks great!”.  What is he referring to here?

The opening gun barrel shot in every Bond movie.

2) The opening music for  Dr. No is a calypso version of a popular  English nursery rhyme, which was believed to refer to Queen Mary I of England, executing  Protestant bishops. In the movie, the nursery rhyme title is used to refer to a group of assassins. Which one?

It was THREE BLIND MICE

3)  From Russia with Love, had the notorious organization SPECTRE, trying to take revenge on Bond, for the death of  Dr.No, using Tatiana Romanova  as a cipher clerk.  The original novel, by Ian Fleming, however had an actual Soviet counter intelligence agency, founded in 1943, whose name  meant “Death to spies”.  The name of that organization founded in April 1943, was coined by Stalin, and was set up to subvert attempts of  German Army  to penetrate the Red Army.

The organization was SMERSH.

4) 

No 2, Willow Road, Hampstead was the house of  Erno ___________, a Hungarian born architect, who later shifted to US and was one of the members of the Modern movement.  The architect’s home, was part of a terrace of 3 houses, and he lived close to Ian Fleming’s home.  Fleming however  opposed  the construction of  his  home, as a number of cottages in Hampstead were demolished  for it. Later on it was believed that the architect’s  surname  was the inspiration for a Bond villian, after whom the novel as well as the movie is named.  Identify.

Erno Goldfinger, was the inspiration for the book as well as movie.

5)

 

This  car model was used for the first time  in Goldfinger,  it was the last in a series named after the head of the company  that produced it. While  Caroreeza Touring was the original designer for his luxury tourer, the car for the movie was designed  by special effects expert John Stears who was often called the Real Q.  Identify this model.

ASTON MARTIN DB2

6)

 

The picture is from the climax of which Bond movie.

THUNDERBALL.

7)  For the movie  You Only Live Twice, the screenwriter of  the earlier Bond movies  Richard Maibaum  was unavailable, so they choose X  for the purpose.  X  was a renowned  novelist, famous  for  his books for children, one of which was made into a movie twice.  X also happened to be a close friend of  Ian Fleming, said the latter’s novel was the worst he had ever read,  without any plot, and he had to rewrite it completely for the movie version.  Identify X.

ROALD DAHL, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

8)  Mr.Wint and Mr.Kidd  are  are a pair of henchmen to Ernst Stavro Blofeld,  while they are members of the Spangled Mob in the original novel, for the movie they were changed to American assassins. Both the book and the movie, hints at a homosexual relationship between these 2 guys, who take a sadistic pleasure in disposing of their victims. Their main job is to ensure that the __________ reach Blofeld, while eliminating all the links in the supply chain.  Identify the movie/book.

The two henchmen were from DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

9) In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Blofeld, recruits 12 beautiful girls from different nations-Germany, China, India,Israel, Hungary, promising to cure their allergy or phobia. In reality he actually brainwashes them to spread the virus Omega, that would contaminate the world’s food supply. What collective name was given to these girls?

ANGELS OF  DEATH.

10)

Tee Hee- Thrown out of a train window,

Baron Samedi- Shot thrown into a coffin full of poisonous snakes, but is shown to have survived,

Whisper- Trapped in an air tight container.

Just identify the movie.

As some one put it right, Bond meets Blaxploitation  in LIVE  AND LET DIE.

Scores.

Nikhil-5

Sriram-5

Ram Kiran-1

Shreenath-10

Ravi-10

Geoff-10

Ramsu-9

Om Namah Shivaya

With Mahashivaratri  coming this weekend, doing this quiz on Lord Shiva- the legends, myths, symbolism associated with him. This is also the first time I am doing a full fledged quiz on Indian mythology and symbolism. Thanks for all the responses to the Quiz. Here are the answers.

1) In the Nataraja form, Shiva is often seen trampling a dwarf  named Apasmara. He is believed to symbolize ignorance, and the act is believed to represent the victory over ignorance, as also the passing of spirit from the divine to the material. Apasmara is also believed to symbolize a certain neurological disorder, described in the Ayurveda. Which one?

EPILEPSY

2) This form of  dance is performed by Parvati, and is in response to the male, cosmic energy of  Shiva’s tandava, and it’s literal meaning is  beauty, happiness and grace. It is often regarded as the feminine version of the Tandava, and  the name is often used in tandem to denote a musical term too. Identify.

LAASYA  the feminine counterpart to the TANDAVA.

3) As per legend, in the battle between  the demon Tarakasura and  Karthikeya, the latter could not subdue him initially. Whenever he killed him with his weapon, the pieces of his body would reunite again miraculously.  It was then Lord Vishnu suggested, that Tarakasura’s power lay in the Shiva linga he was worshiping, and asked him to break that first. But on one condition, that the pieces of the broken Linga must be fixed in their respective places, so that they could not rejoin.  Karthikeya did so, and Surya  fixed the parts of these Lingas, by building temples over them. These 5 places  now  located in Andhra Pradesh, are called as  _____________ Kshetras, and the Lingas there were believed to have been installed by Indra, Surya, Chandra, Vishnu and Kumaraswamy himself.  Identify.

PANCHARAMA KSHETRAS, located at Amaravati( Amararama), Draksharamam( Bhimarama), Palakollu(Ksheerarama), Samalkot(Kumararama) and Bhimavaram( Somarama).

4)  This place gets it’s name from the legend that a spider, snake and elephant all worshiped Lord Shiva here, and on their death, they were granted  Moksha. The spider was born as a king in that area, and it’s believed he built the temple. The 100 pillar mandap at this temple was built by Sri Krishnadeva Raya in 1526.  It is one of the Panchabhoota kshetras, where Lord Shiva is worshipped in form of 5 elements, and here it Shiva in form of Vayu( Air).  The temple is also famous for it’s Rahu Ketu Puja.  Which one?

SRI KALAHASTI from the spider SRI, snake KALA and elephant HASTI.

5) “Then the mighty ___________, having heard the pleasure of his lord, bowed down his head to the feet of  Shiva ; and starting like a lion loosed from bonds, despoiled the sacrifice of Daksha, knowing that this had been created by the displeasure of Devi . She too in her wrath, as the fearful goddess ___________, accompanied him, with all her train, to witness his deeds.” – Just fill in the blanks( part points for each).

VEERABHADRA and BHADRAKALI is what I was looking for.

6)  This mantra was believed to have been composed by Rishi Markandeya first and he was the only one who knew it. When the Moon God, Chandra, was cursed by Daksha, he was taught this mantra to overcome the curse. Also known as the Rudra mantra, it is chanted in praise of Lord Shiva, for warding off  untimely death, and when smearing Vibhuti all over the body. It has begun to be identified with healing and rejuvenation. Identify.

MRITYUNJAYA  MANTRA

7)

This temple is one of the  12 Jyotirlingas, and is located at the source of the Godavari river.  The current temple was built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, aka Nanasaheb, and the Linga has three faces, embodying Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. It is covered by a crown consisting of  precious stones, and believed to date from the Pandava era.  Identify.

TRIAMBAKESHWAR near NASHIK.

8)  This devotional hymn was composed by Adi Shankara while he was staying at Srisailam.  It begins with an ode to Mallikarjuna and Brahmaramba, the reigning deities, and consists of 100 stanzas of Sanskrit poetry.  The literal meaning of the hymn is Wave of  Auspicious Bliss. What?

SIVANANDA  LAHIRI.

9)  Panchaharas- 5 modes of conduct, Ashtavarna- 8 fold armour that protects the devotee from distraction and worldly attachments, Shasthala- 6 levels of achievement a devotee can achieve.  All of them are features of which Shaivite tradition.

LINGAYATISM or VEERA SAIVISM, founded by Basava.

10)

Sadyojata- Facing West, represents Earth.

Vamadeva-Facing North, represents Water.

Aghora-Facing South, represents Fire.

Tatpurusha- Facing East, represents Air.

Isana- Facing Internall, represents Space.

What am I referring to here?

The answer I was seeking was the PANCHAMUKHA SHIVA or PANCHANANA SHIVA.( Shiva with 5 faces).

Scores.

Rahul Ghidiyal-8.

Jaikar-8.

Ramaswamy-9

Ramakrishnan-4

Vijay-10

Tejas-4( Special round of applause for this 11 yr old kid).

Anuradha-7

Suresh-10

And the Oscar goes to…..

With  Oscars around the corner, this quiz as you would have guessed it, is dedicated to the Oscars. So here are a set of  10 questions  on the Academy.

1)  Complete and connect the images below.

These were the movies that were nominated with Mother India for Best Foreign Language Movie. And it was Notti Di Cabiria(Nights of Cabiria) that won.

2)   This 1960  Swedish movie  was adapted from a 13th century  ballad called Tores daughters in Vange.  Controversial for it’s rape scene, it was an examination of the concepts  of justice and morality. The movie would be the basis of a highly controversial 1972  grindhouse flick, directed by Wes Craven, that shocked audiences due to it’s graphic depiction  of  sex and violence.  This movie also won the  Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1960.  Identify.

The movie was Virgin Spring, the 1972 movie based on it was Last House to the Left.

3)  Nisi Masa is a non profit organization, that promotes  young  professionals, in European movie making industry.  It is supported by EU, Council of Europe,  Foundation De France among others. The title of  this organization is  derived from a phrase  in a 1963  Italian movie, that  went  on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign movie and  whose title is a reference to the director’s previous body of work. The phrase was choosen as the title, since it was not  associated with any language per se, and  reflected a cross border spirit. Identify the movie.

Frederico Fellini’s 81/2.

4)  A Man and a Woman( French)  won the  1966  Oscar for Best Foreign Language Movie, and deals with the growing relationship between a widow and a widower, who have to deal with memories of their deceased spouses.  Which 1971  Hindi movie was based on this movie?

The Hindi movie based on this was Ramesh Sippy’s ANDAZ, starring Rajesh Khanna, Shammi Kapoor, Hema Malini.

5) The closing credits  feature a list of items banned  by the military  junta, that  includes Sophocles, Leo Tolstoy, Sartre, Mark Twain, free press, new  math and  ___________, which was symbolic of the resistance to it.  This was one of the few movies nominated for both Best Picture as well as Best Foreign Language at the Oscars, ended up winning the latter.

It was the letter Z itself, which also is the name of the movie.

6) In 1952  Gary Cooper won  the Best Actor Oscar for High Noon, which has often been cited as an allegory  or Hollywood blacklisting. He could not  make it to the ceremony, and the award was accepted on his behalf  by X.  Ironically X  was one of the strongest  critics of  High Noon, calling it  one of  the most “un American”  movies ever. Identify X.

JOHN WAYNE.

7)  “Its a strange marriage we have at  ________________,  I am an Indian Muslim, _____________ is a German Jew, and _________ is a Protestant American. Someone once described us as a 3 headed God, maybe they should have called us a three headed monster”.  Quote referring to a movie production company , that won a record 6 Academy Awards. Identify.

Ivory Merchant Productions, that was Ismail Merchant speaking, German Jew was Ruth Praver, James Ivory was American.

8)  Apart from his wins as a Best Director for  Platoon and Born on the 4th of July, Oliver Stone also won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for  this  1978 movie, that was set in a Turkish prison, and based on a book by Billy Hayes.  The novel was on the real life experiences of the author, who was sent to prison for attempting to smuggle hashish and his experiences there. Which one?

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.

9)

Identify the older man to the right, winning his hon. Oscar.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN winning the Honorary Oscar, on his return to the US, from Jack Lemmon.

10)  Just fill in blanks.

Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn,
Wire, briar, limber lock
Three geese in a flock
One flew East
One flew West,

_______________________________________

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’s NEST.

Scores.

Kamal-5

Rudrajit-8.

Henry -5

Debanjan-10

Karthick-9

Ravi-9

Sriram-2

Nanda-2

Republic Day Quiz-2013

Thanks for all the responses to the Quiz, here are the answers and scores.

1. SuperHeavy is a super group seeking a “convergence of different musical styles ”  with music ranging from reggae to ballads to Indian music.  A.R.Rehman is one of the members, along with Mick Jagger( founder),.Dave Stewart, Damian Marley. On August 9,2011, the band released it’s second single,  written and composed  by A.R.Rehman and sung by Mick Jagger  in Sanskrit. The song’s title is taken after a very famous Sanskrit saying, which was also the name of  a TV talk show that came in 2012.  Identify.

SATYAMEVA JAYATE was the song, universally cracked.

2.  Born in Dhaka,  his father was a district magistrate, and they later moved to Kolkata. Having witnessed the tide of refugees to the city in 1943, fleeing the great Bengal famine, would later have a profound  impact on his work. As a member of  the IPTA  he translated the plays of  Bertolt Bretcht and Gogol to Bengali. His first completed movie Nagarik  was regarded as one of  the first art movies in Bengali cinema along with Pather Panchali. His 1958 movie Ajantrik was a comedy with sci fi themes. He also wrote the script  for Bimal Roy’s Madhumati, while his 1960 movie, the first in a trilogy dealing with Partition era refugees and whose title translates to Cloud Capped Star would be one of his most famous. Name the director.

RITWIK GHATAK  was the director, though got a couple of Mrinal Sen, Satyajit Ray answers too.

3. This battle during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war was fought near the village of  Khem Karan, in Taran Taran district of Punjab.  It is considered the largest  tank battle post World War II,  and resulted in a decisive Indian victory with over 100 Pakistani tanks either being captured or destroyed.  It was also a turning point in the war,  that tilted the balance in favor of  India. Identify.

BATTLE OF  ASAL  UTTAR.

4. In 1896, when Swami Vivekananda  was traveling through the Alps, he expressed his desire to have a similar place in the Himalayas, where people could retreat and study the Vedas. In 1898, Capt. James Sevier and his wife Charlotte Sevier, both of them ardent followers of Swamiji, found a place near Almora, which they deemed suitable to set up the Ashram. The Ashram was established here in 1899, and  is dedicated solely to the study and practice of  Vedanta. There are  no idols here, not even of  Ramakrishna Paramahans, and this was as per desire of Swami Vivekananda himself. Identify the ashram and the place it’s located in.

ADVAITA ASHRAM,MAYAVATI.

 5.The 1996  Hollywood movie  Mrs.Winterbourne starring  Ricki Lake was loosely based on Cornell Woolrich’s novel I Married a Dead Man, which had an earlier version in 1950 titled No Man of her Own.  Which 1970 Hindi movie was based on this novel?

The movie was KATI PATANG, though a couple of Aradhana guesses were there.

 6.As per legend, this place was one of the 5 cities founded by the Pandavas, and was named as Panduprastha. Known as “Textile City” due to the large number of handloom, powerloom units here,  it  also has a refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation. The city is famous for  events in 1526, 1556 and 1761 that proved to be turning points in the history of India. Which one?

PANIPAT, again cracked by most.

 7. Born in Varanasi, he had to drop out of school at 8 due to financial problems, and studied mostly at home. His initial collection of poetry Chitraadhar  was in Braj Bhasha, but later shifted to the Sanskritized Hindi. He is considered one of the 4 pillars( Char Stambh)  of the Chayavadi movement along with Suryakant Tripati Nirala,Sumitranandan Pant and Mahadevi Verma. His Hindi epic poem Kamayani, is considered one of the greatest works of Hindi literature.  Who?

This was JAI SHANKAR PRASAD, got a couple of  Munshi Prem Chand guesses too.

 8.Born in Saharsa district of Bihar,  he was an Economics post graduate from Patna University in 1948. He started his political career as parliamentary secretary to Jawaharlal Nehru and later held the posts of  Dy.Min for Home Affairs, Dy.Finance Minister. He was the Minister for Railways in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet. In 1975 on a visit to Samastipur railway station, he died in a bomb blast, becoming the first Union minister to have been assassinated. His brother was also 3 times CM of Bihar, while the University in Darbhanga is named after him. The reason behind his murder to date remains unresolved with various conspiracy theories attached to it. Identify.

This was LALIT NARAYAN MISHRA.

 9.A graduate from St.Stephens, he later became associated with SFI, when at Delhi University. His association with the Indian People’s Theater Association, led him to co found JANAM( Jana Natya Manch) in 1973, which used to perform street plays.  In the 70’s he produced a number of  plays on issues like peasant distress, unemployment, clerical fascism. He was attacked by hired political goons on Jan 1,1989 when he was performing a play whose title translated to Attack, and died the next day in hospital. A 2008 Hindi movie has the same title as the play he was performing when he died, and on of the characters in that movie was inspired by him. Identify.

SAFDAR HASHMI, again cracked by most.

 10.Makar Sankranti is celebrated by Sikhs as _________,  in honor  of  Chali Mukte, or the 40 Liberated, the Sikhs who were given Mukti by Guru Gobind Singh. On 29 Dec, 1705,these 40 men laid down their lives,defending an attack by an Imperial Army at Khidrane Di Dhab. Identify.

MAGHI.

 Scores.

• Anubhav Chatterjee-3
• Muneer-9
• Vinay Kumar-4.
• Javeed Ahmed-10.
• Debanjan-6
• Sudhir Pai-3
• Soubhagya-5.
• Vamsi-9.

Republic Day Special Quiz-2012

Sorry for the delay in the replies, here are the answers, fairly good response.

1) This princely state was believed to have been established in 1806 by an Afghan adventurer, Faiz Talab Khan, and  is located in present day Haryana.An  Ahir king  Charu Rao, had ruled over this area in the 9th century earlier, which accounts for the large concentration of Ahirs here. Name this princely state, that has been in the news  some months back.

PATAUDI of course, from where the Nawab of Pataudi hails.

2) Touch Play  written by Dev Kumar is an authorized biography of   this Indian sports player, only the second time,  a biography  has been written about a player belonging to this sport. The player released it in 2006, during the National Championships in Bangalore. Identify the player.

This was PRAKASH PADUKONE.

3) Born in the Sistan province of  Afghanistan, his last name comes from the town he was born in.  Coming from a well to do family, he later renounced the world, after his encounter with a Sufi saint from Kunduz. He  later became the disciple of another Sufi saint, Usman Harooni.  When Muhammad Ghori invaded India, he travelled with him, and he settled down in Ajmer. He established the Sufi order, founded by  “The Syrian”, named  so after the place where it started, and later laid down the guidelines for the order. Identify.

MOHIUDDIN CHISTI of AJMER.

4)  Complete the series and funda,  Sanjay Manjrekar:  Sir Richard Hadlee::  Mark Taylor:___________.

KAPIL DEV, the 400th victims of the two bowlers.

5)  Connect  the following images

Connect of  course was BULLA SHAH. Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se based on his composition. Junoon’s album contains his compositions again. Rabbi Shergill’s  Bulla Ki Jaane Main Kaun Hoon. Bandeya Ho in Khuda Ke Liye again based on his composition.

6)  This  place in Tamil  Nadu  was mentioned  in  the works of Tirugnana  Sambandar, and Tirunavakarusu, and is  famous  for the ancient  Shiva  temple built by the Cholas. One of the famous persons  born here, took his  name from the presiding  deity of the temple.  The  temple  is famous for it’s Panchamuga Vadyam, a unique  musical instrument  and  also has  a special significance in Indian classical music. Name  the place.

TIRUVAIYARU, where the music festival takes place, also the birthplace of the Trinity of Carnatic music, Tyagaraya, Shyama Shastri, Mutthuswamy Dikshitar.

7) The 3rd daughter of  a Hindu mother and Muslim father, she made her  Hindi movie debut with a 1972 movie called Zaroorat. For  a long time, appearing  in  B-Grade movies, she finally  hit the big time with this  70’s  blockbuster, that  would also prove to be a turning point for the careers of  it’s director and hero. She  was  nominated thrice  for  Filmfare,  for the “Snake Woman”  and  “Hope”, before winning the Best Supporting Actress Award  in  a rather negative role, in this late 70’s  J.Om Prakash family drama. Identify.

REENA ROY, famed for her Nagin Role.

8) Born  in  a town in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan,  he left for Mumbai to be a cotton dealer.Later he migrated to Kolkata, where against  stiff resistance  from the British  and Scottish  jute merchants, he set up the first  indigenous  jute  factory.  Elected  to the Central Legislative Assembly in 1926,  he later  diversified into  Sugar, paper mills as well as automobile.  A close associate of  Mahatma Gandhi, he set up a renowned  educational institution  in his  hometown in Rajasthan.  Name him.

G.D.BIRLA

9) What is the claim to fame of  the  above building in Chicago?
THE ART INSTITUTE where the Parliament of Religions was held in which Swami Vivekananda gave his famous speech.

10)  Listed  among the  1001 Albums to listen before you die, this  1967 instrumental album  by  Shiv Kumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia   that  follows a day in the life of  a shepherd in Kashmir, played a  major  role  in introducing  Indian classical music to the West. Name it.


CALL OF THE VALLEY.


Scores
Partha Ghatak-6

Rajiv Rai-7

Mukund-7

Deepak Taneja-5.5

Mahendra Pande-10

Muneer Ali-8

Jitaditya-7