MELAS Quiz at Interrobang 2017 (Prelims + Answers)

AcknowledgementsAakash Puttige

Ribhu MukherjeeAbhishek Babbar Samiha GopalAparajita Kaul

Shivsaai PrasadBalaji Subramanian

T.P.S. HarshaJayavardhan Josyula Taruni KavuriNipuna Varman Vishnu Sumanth

Prelims30 questions, 35 points in all. Top 8 teams to qualify.Questions 1-25 are for 1 point each, questions 26-30 are for 2 points each.Questions 11-20 are star-marked and will be used to break ties, if any. If the tie still persists, sudden death will apply.No negative marking, feel free to guess.Kindly switch off mobile phones and other electronic devices.Quizmaster’s decision is final.

1.While it has been ultimately declared that that the film is not based on any living or dead person and is completely fictional, it is said to be based on Abdul Latif’s life with the precautionary measure taken after the subject’s son issued a lawsuit of defamation stating that the details were misrepresented.a) Which film is this?b) Latif was shot dead after he tried to escape when he was being escorted to the Central Jail. The jail itself had housed someone in 1922, only a few kilometres from his place of residence, which is now a national monument. What is the name of this jail, which shares the name with the residence?

And the answer is…

Sabarmati Central Jail

2.This competition was the brainchild of acclaimed Canadian writer Douglas Coupland, author of cult novel Generation X. Out of 1,250 entries from 37 countries, an actor named Daniel Baker from Dorset was chosen as the winner. Baker, 35, won €5,000 and said he was "utterly overwhelmed" that his "worn face" had been selected.What was the competition all about?

Vincent Van Gogh lookalike contest

3.Californian company Vintage Wine Estates was approached by an entity to produce three different varieties of wines in 2016. Set to be launched later this year, these wines range in price from $19.99 to $39.99 and this now seems like a no-brainer partnership considering the entity's association with something.Jeff Peters, the Director of Licensing and Retail for the entity, explained the association stating that an officially licensed wine would feel like a natural extension for the public, and add to fan experience.What entity, and what is it associated with?

HBO, Game of Thrones

4.In late 2014, this Australian entity trademarked a phrase in what it called a defensive move to prevent people cashing in on something unfortunate. The move came after representatives of the entity and its legal representatives K & L Gates had discussions with the bereaved family to prevent potential unlicensed memorabilia.Its main concern was unlicensed merchandise including T-shirts, stickers and memorial trophies being sold on online auction sites.What phrase was trademarked?

63 not out

5.The BBAs are a series of national ‘negative prizes’ which recognize "government and private sector organizations ... which have done the most to threaten personal privacy". They are intended to draw public attention to privacy issues and are given yearly to authorities, companies, organizations, and persons that have been acting consistently to threaten or violate people's privacy, or disclosed people's personal data to third parties.The first annual United States BBAs were made in Washington in 1999, on the 50th anniversary of something which influenced the naming of the prizes. They were then given in five categories: Greatest Corporate Invader, Lifetime Menace, Most Invasive Program, People's Choice, and Worst Public Official.Expand BBA.

Big Brother Awards

6.Live Scenes from New York is a 3 disc live album by progressive metal/rock band Dream Theater. The album featured cover art depicting an alternate version of the “flaming heart” symbol, which was inspired by another cover from an earlier album titled Images and Words. However, as soon as the album was released, it was recalled and re-released a short time later with the artwork being changed. Some copies with the original artwork still exist, and are now a rare collectors item.Why was the artwork changed?

Original cover

Replacement cover

The album released on the same day as the 9/11 attacks. It featured the New York skyline

(including the Twin Towers) within the flaming heart symbol.

7.Hearth and Home was an American weekly illustrated magazine which was published from 1868 to 1875. It was one of several new publications which were dedicated to women and had X become one of its first editors.X left the magazine after a year but went on to campaign for the expansion of married women's rights, arguing that:“The position of a married woman ... is, in many respects, precisely similar to that of the negro slave. She can make no contract and hold no property; whatever she inherits or earns becomes at that moment the property of her husband.... Though he acquired a fortune through her, or though she earned a fortune through her talents, he is the sole master of it, and she cannot draw a penny....[I]n the English common law a married woman is nothing at all. She passes out of legal existence.”Who was X?

Harriet Beecher Stowe

8.Earlier this year, actor Pradeesh Raj was waiting near a fruit shop in Kotturpuram in Chennai when he was picked up by police officials and taken to the Abhiramapuram police station for questioning.He later found out that the area was notorious for incidents of chain snatching and the police, in a case of mistaken identity took him for a suspect. Pradeesh was let off in a few minutes after he had established his credentials.It was later understood that this incident was a milder ‘encore’ of sorts for Pradeesh who had been taken in by the police previously as well (albeit in a different context). What pop culture context was this?

He acted in Visaranai, where four labourers are tortured by the police to confess a theft they did not commit.

9.Rajdhani Express, directed by Ashok Kohli featured an ensemble cast featuring Jimmy Shergill, Gulshan Grover and Puja Bose among others. It also marked the debut of X, who already had a strong fan base elsewhere. The movie bombed at the box office and quickly plunged into oblivion. The Hindu, in its review of the film titled "Rajdhani Express: ______ is not the problem, ______ is“, heavily criticised X’s acting, while refuting the general consensus among critics that the script itself was too slow.Fill in both blanks.

Pace, Paes

10.Massacre in Korea is a expressionistic painting by Pablo Picasso which is seen as a criticism of American intervention in the Korean War. It depicts the 1950 Sinchon Massacre, a mass killing carried out in the South Hwanghae Province of North Korea.Which previous painting does Massacre in Korea draw its influence from?

The Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya

Starred questions begin.Qs 11-20 will be used to break ties.

11*. Limba Ram is an archer who has represented India in international competitions, including three Olympics. Born in 1972 into a poor family, he relied on hunting and other animals in the jungle with his indigenous bamboo bow and reed arrows for food.He became famous for having equalled an archery world record at the Asian Archery Championships in Beijing, which led to the Government of India honouring him with an award. The award presented to him acquired a certain sense of irony when the Akhil Bharatiya Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, an RSS-linked organisation that works for tribal welfare, claimed that it identified Limba Ram through its Khelkood Pratiyogita competition.What was the award? What was the name of this competition that allegedly 'spotted' Limba Ram?

Arjuna, Eklavya

12*.Irish feminist Margaret Cousins was active in the women’s suffrage movement in Ireland and England in the first two decades of the 20th century. In 1903, she got married to well known writer, playwright and actor James Cousins.At Anne Besant’s behest, the Cousins’ couple travelled to India in 1915 and the rest of the lives of the duo was devoted entirely to social, educational and cultural activities in India. They moved to Madanapalle in Chittoor district, where, at the Theosophical College, James Cousins taught English and Margaret, music to the students.During their stay, a guest visited in 1919 and began to translate into English a song that he had previously composed in his native language. Margaret, who was an expert in Western music set down the notation for his piece and rendered a score.Who was the guest? What is Margaret credited with composing the tune for?

Rabindranath Tagore, Jana Gana Mana

13*. a. Which ex-cricketer’s clichéd commentary dialogue does this strip refer to?

13*. b.In keeping with several internet challenges that were springing up across the globe, commentators for the recently concluded India-England Test series were invited to take a specific challenge with this commentator himself rating each rendition.The commentators were supposed to say, "Kohli drives through the covers into the fence……" and end the sentence with his clichéd catchphrase.

What was this four-word catchphrase?

L Sivaramakrishnan, Like a tracer bullet

14*.An award for Best Adapted Screenplay is awarded to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source. Richard Linklater's Before Midnight, which was released in 2013 received widespread acclaim and was nominated for several such awards, including an Oscar in this category.However, the nomination was found to be a little strange to some who opined that there was no source material (like a book or a play) for it to be considered in this category, and therefore it should have instead been nominated for Best Original Screenplay.Why did the nomination make sense?

Being a sequel (based on already published/produced script material), it was cast into the Adapted Screenplay section

for awards.

15*.Over the summer of 2016, UEFA published a list of ten individuals, and ran a profile on them, whom they believed to be the most prolific coaches since its foundation in 1954.Each of their profiles were titled with a few words epitomising their most contributive relation to the game. For example, the profile title for Sir Alex Furguson is ‘United’s master tactician’ and Johann Cruyff’s title is ‘the man who reinvented Barcelona.’Similarly, which two coaches are titled as:a. Madrid and Spain’s soft power.b. The architect of ‘total football’

Vicente del Bosque, Rinus Michels

16*.Peg Entwistle was a Welsh-born actress who began her stage career in 1925. She appeared in several Broadway productions, and emboldened by this success, soon set her sights on the silver screen. She nabbed her first and only role in Thirteen Women, a film that received average reviews. However, most of Entwistle’s scenes were cut—leaving the aspiring starlet heartbroken.Stricken stricken with grief and reportedly intoxicated, Entwistle committed suicide near her home in what The New York Times called a "movieland tragedy". Her death brought wide and often sensationalised publicity, after which there have been several alleged sightings of her apparition at the spot of her death.While tinseltown let the actress down in her career, in what way did it aid her with her final act?

Jumped from the top of the Hollywood sign

17*."The gently smiling X is the greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter. We turn the pages partly in fervent hopes that she will get her comeuppance...but also in growing fear of what she will get up to next.”

The above is an extract from a book review written by Y in 2003. It was published by Entertainment Weekly, who explained Y's method of submitting the review thus: "Y didn’t have much time to read the 870-page book — and he worked on the review while doing publicity for his fantasy series. Moreover, he told us that he’d left his PowerBook back in Maine and declined our offer to borrow a laptop. Instead, he delivered a spiral-bound notebook with the review written out in his distinctively neat handwriting.”

Incidentally, Y took a shining to the book and gave it an A rating.Who was the reviewer?Which villain was he talking about?

Stephen King, Dolores Umbridge

18*.In an article recently, Daniel Roberts analysed the steady decline in NFL television ratings, calling it the biggest sports-business story of 2016. Four weeks into the football season, the NFL initially blamed the ratings dip on the “attention around our presidential election, which is unprecedented.” However, as per Roberts, new reports suggest that one factor dismissed by many has in fact had a definite impact. At first blush, it may be hard to believe a small personal act is causing people to boycott the league. But in a recent poll, it was found that 56% of respondents said “yes” to this factor calling it a “turnoff”. Donald Trump has also agreed with this stating the election could have been one reason, but the other major reason was _________________. What is this factor? Who was Trump referring to, a person who has been synonymous with the factor?

US National Anthem Protests, Colin Kaepernick

19*.Marie Grosholtz moved to Bern along with her mother after her father died in the Seven Years’ War. In Bern, her mother worked as a housekeeper in the house of local doctor Philippe Curtius who used a particular technique to illustrate anatomy so that it could be understood in a better way. Growing up in this household, Marie developed a fascination for this technique which soon turned into expertise on the subject. Curtius started expanding his hobby and touring Europe to exhibit his work, employing Marie to increase production. It is documented that Marie's first work was based on Voltaire as she decided to work on contemporary affairs. Curtius bequeathed his blooming business to her, after which she married a civil engineer and began what is now an international success story.What is this the backstory of?

Madame Tussauds

20*.The post-war avant-garde scene was alive and kicking in through the 1940s-60s in Manhattan and jazz innovator Ornett Coleman was a key figure in a community that included not only musicians, but also poets, and artists.In 1960, he released ‘Free Jazz’, an album that would not only create a new type of jazz music but also featured a famous artist’s painting on the cover. Over the years, critics have drawn parallels between the musician and artist for their seemingly free and unrestricted approaches to their art.Whose work featured on the cover of this album?

Jackson Pollock

Starred questions end.

21.This is a 2010 parody novel written by Ben Winters and is based on a book first published in 1877. The novel is a mashup, adding steampunk elements to the Russian 19th-century environment of the original book. The book has the same main couples but the society is high-tech, with servant-robots performing tasks all the way from pest control to education of children; the robots love their humans and are governed by the Iron Laws of Robot Behaviour. American critic Jay Parini said the author of the original would have been "horrified by the notion of changing his work in absurd ways for the purposes of amusement".

What is the title of the parody novel?

Android Karenina

22.In order to maintain culinary accuracy, a certain pop culture artefact ought to be renamed Confit byaldi. This is because if you were making the original recipe for the world's greatest food critic, you would know that it required all the vegetables to be fried individually before baking. Confit byaldi deviates from the purist's recipe, and was chosen by the producers of the pop culture artefact because its plating was more aesthetically appealing.What recipe is confit byaldi a variation of?

Ratatouille

23.Identify the person in the following photograph, who made his debut on Dancing With the Stars last year.

Ryan Lochte

24.Released in 1996 and re-promoted in 1997, these are images from a commercially successful point-and-click adventure game developed by CyberFlix. The player assumes the role of a former British spy who, during the London Blitz, is sent back in time to complete a mission. The virtual representation for the player’s surroundings in the game involved extensive research to ensure historical accuracy and the development team worked on precisely recreating interior and exterior 3D environments. Where exactly is the spy sent to finish his mission, in the game?

On board the RMS Titanic

25.Father and son duo Keith and Matthew Strachan were approached in 1998 by an entertainment company named Celador to compose music for something. Celador's brief required "something dramatic and full of tension", so the Strachans began to work on their piece, which was based on "Mars" from Gustav Holst’s The Planets suite. In accordance with the brief, their composition is noticeably slow in the initial stages and later intensifies to create the required atmosphere. The track is described as "mimicking the sound of a beating heart", and has been praised worldwide for succeeding in creating the effect that was intended. In 2002, the two were given an award for this composition by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.Where could you have heard their composition?

Who wants to be a millionaire/Kaun Banega Crorepati

Questions 26-30 carry two points each.

26. a.In October 2016, she was named an Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls by the United Nations in a campaign challenging female stereotypes and fighting discrimination and violence against women. Those who supported this decision pointed towards her pioneering, feminist roots and her muscular bravery.However, the move was strongly criticised by some UN staff who stated that it was a marketing campaign and found her appointment problematic because of her “overtly sexualised attire”, her “Americanness,” and the fact that it could be culturally insensitive in many parts of the world. After a brief stint, the UN decided to drop her as an ambassador two months later.Who was appointed, and later removed by the UN?

26. b. The 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship will be hosted by Paris, France and Cologne, Germany from 5th to 21st May 2017.A few months ago, this well-known duo were named as mascots of the Championships. French Ice Hockey Federation President Luc Tardif said that their well-documented and persevering battle against superior forces symbolised the trial of strength between two opponents who are seemingly unequal, as is often the case in ice hockey. The appointment makes also makes sense because France and Germany are said to be the strongest global markets, with respect to their popularity. Which immensely popular duo is this?

26. a. Wonder Woman

26. b. Asterix and Obelix

27.Verses from Sir Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake, including "Hail to the Chief who in triumph advances!" were set to music around 1812 by songwriter James Sanderson, who wrote many songs for local theatrical productions during the 1800s.The association that we know ‘Hail to the Chief’ for today, first occurred in 1815 when it was played to honour X and the end of the War of 1812.

a. Who was X?b. With whom would you associate Hail to the Chief today? (or) Where would we have heard it very recently?

27. a. George Washington

27. b. Presidential Anthem of the United States/Donald Trump’s swearing in

28.Designed by London-based Studio Sutherland in collaboration with British illustrator Neil Webb, U.K.’s Royal Mail has released a set of innovative stamps which are dedicated to key scenes and principal characters of this author’s work.

a) In whose honour have these stamps been released?b) Which specific work does the last stamp honour?

b) Which specific work does this stamp honour?

28. a. Agatha Christie

28. b. Murder on the Orient Express

29.These are the two main panels out of 27 murals that X painted, and depicts one of the world's most powerful industrial cities. The city was known for its mass production of motor cars, but also had factories that produced goods ranging from steel, electric power, and cement. This impressive integrated industrial manufacturing center is what X sought to capture.Even before the murals were made, there had been controversy surrounding X's Marxist philosophy. During the 1950s, a sign was erected near the murals which stated that X's politics and publicity seeking were 'detestable', but he had painted the significance of the place being a 'world city' and this could not be discounted.a. Which city's industry do the murals depict?b. Who was X, who was also known for his volatile marriage to another famous artist?

29. a. Detroit

29. b. Diego Rivera

30.Journalist Brian Laul received a letter in 1980 which he has preserved until today stating that “it was one of the most articulate, logical stinkers I received, so neatly written on a tasteful letterhead.”

a) Who penned this letter?b) Which film was refused by her, which went on to inspire another Tamil film with the same name in 2007? (or) What was this film a remake of?

30. a. Jayalalitha

30. b. Billa/Don

Please hand in your answer sheets.Corrections to follow.

MELAS Quiz at Interrobang 2017 (Prelims + Answers)

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