MELA quiz for Rendezvous 2025 at IIT Delhi | To Chimp A Butterfly Finals | co-set with Balagopal Menon | run as an open quiz for rendezvous

A MELA (Music, Entertainment, Literature and Art) Quiz, set by me and Bala for Rendezvous '25. Run for an open audience, further information about the set can be obtained at IITD QC and Rendezvous IITD's Instagram pages.

This is the finals part of the set.

1. To Chimp A
Butterfly
Bala and Ramish

2. Ba A/V Check

3. Ba The QMs would like to thank Abhishek, Aditya, Anish, Baiba, Mako, Rush, and
members of GOVB for GPing the set and providing valuable feedback.
The QMs would like to thank Aakash and the QC rep team for their help in
smooth conduct of the quiz.
Acknowledgements

4. Ba -
There are 4 rounds in the quiz, 2 dries (14
questions each) and 2 written rounds (4
questions each)
-
The marking of questions is +10/-5 on
pounce, +10/0 on bounce. (Part marking
+5/+10, +3/+6/+10 wherever necessary)
-
The use of any and all electronic devices is
prohibited during the quiz. (We request you
to keep your phones on silent)
-
Hints will be provided at the discretion of the
QMs. The decision of the QMs will be final
and binding.
Rules

5. Ba 4 questions
Scoring : +10/0
(Part points applicable)
WRITTEN-ROUND 1

6. Ba Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World is a 2023 Romanian dark
comedy which follows Angela working through a gruelling workday.
Due to the style of the narrative and its absurdist nature, many critics
compared it to a work which was released in 1922, on its author’s 40th
birthday. This work (like the movie) also follows people around an European
capital city, the difference being that the book follows 3 people, while the
movie follows just the one. Identify the work in question (by an author who
has already featured in this quiz :P).
Audience Question

7. Safety.

8. Ba ULYSSES
JAMES JOYCE’S

9. Ba As you just saw, Don’t expect too much
from the end of the world is a Romanian
film about the dystopian state of
everyday life and follows a girl who
handles logistics for an advertisement
shooting firm. It is also filled with
references to multiple MELA entities.
This Written Round is on the MELA
references in the movie. For each part,
there is a snippet of the movie where the
reference in made and you have to
identify them.
Context

10. Ba Towards the end of the movie, we see a PSA being shot for promoting safety
in the company. They invite an employee handicapped by the company’s lax
safety policy to drive home the point. When the executives don’t like what he
is saying (they think it puts the blame of his disability on the company), they
make a suggestion (clip attached on the next slide).
What song’s music video are they referring to?
1.

12. Ba Sometime during its long runtime, our protagonist finds her way on to a
movie set, particularly one being shot by an infamous director. In line with
what he’s doing nowadays, he is seen shooting a B-grade sci-fi flick in Eastern
Europe and reminisces about something we’d all know him for. (Clip attached
on next slide)
Identify the director.
2.

14. Ba While interviewing the candidate you saw in question 1 of this written round,
pent up feelings for an old colleague pop up. The candidate’s mother
compares his anger against his erstwhile friend (and implied saboteur) to a
Novel (which was later adapted into film), which has a major portion set in
prison.
Which Novel is referred to here? It ends with the proclamation “All human
wisdom is contained in these two words: 'Wait and Hope’”.
(Clip attached on the next slide)
3.

16. Ba One of the subplots of the movie revolves around the imminent exhumation
of the protagonists’s grandparent’s graves. To negotiate reburial, she goes to
the offices of an insurance company who have claimed the land their own.
During the conclusion of this meeting, she observes something and calls it a
sinister coincidence.
Take a look at the next slide, and tell me exactly where would you these in
the 1-2nd Century AD ?
4.

18. Ba Exchange your sheets!
ANSWERS

19. Ba Towards the end of the movie, we see a PSA being shot for promoting safety
in the company. They invite an employee handicapped by the company’s lax
safety policy to drive home the point. When the executives don’t like what he
is saying (they think it puts the blame of his disability on the company), they
make a suggestion (clip attached on the next slide).
What song’s music video are they referring to?
1.

21. Safety.

22. Ba SUBTERRANEAN
HOMESICK BLUES
BOB DYLAN’S

23. Ba Sometime during its long runtime, our protagonist finds her way on to a
movie set, particularly one being shot by an infamous director. In line with
what he’s doing nowadays, he is seen shooting a B-grade sci-fi flick in Eastern
Europe and reminisces about something we’d all know him for. (Clip attached
on next slide)
Identify the director.
2.

25. Safety.

26. Ba He is referring to the boxing match that he
participated in against his newspaper/online critics.
UWE BOLL

27. Ba While interviewing the candidate you saw in question 1 of this written round,
pent up feelings for an old colleague pop up. The candidate’s mother
compares his anger against his erstwhile friend (and implied saboteur) to a
Novel (which was later adapted into film).
Which Novel is referred to here? It ends with the proclamation “All human
wisdom is contained in these two words: 'Wait and Hope’”.
(Clip attached on the next slide)
3.

29. Safety.

30. Ba THE COUNT OF MONTE
CRISTO
ALEXANDER DUMAS’S

31. Ba One of the subplots of the movie revolves around the imminent exhumation
of the protagonists’s grandparent’s graves. To negotiate reburial, she goes to
the offices of an insurance company who have claimed the land their own.
During the conclusion of this meeting, she observes something and calls it a
sinister coincidence.
Take a look at the next slide, and tell me exactly where would you find
these in the 1-2nd Century AD ?
4.

33. Safety.

34. Ba MUMMIES
YOU WOULD FIND THEM COVERING THE
FACES OF

35. Ba 14 questions
Clockwise
Pounce: +10/-5
Bounce: +10/0
Chimping: have you read
the name of the quiz?
DRIES-1

36. Ba In May 1928, Dr. Edward Bach published an article in the London Daily News
suggesting that Dr. Voronoff’s procedure of implanting thin slices of
chimpanzee testicle into the scrotums of men could potentially cause the
patients to imbibe the worst characteristics of the chimp. This elicited what
might be considered as one of the most bizarre responses to the editor as the
same newspaper received a letter signed by “Consul Junior,” who, at the time
was a famous chimp housed at the London Zoo.
Given that the letter makes it a point to lampoon the foolhardiness of men, who
wage pointless wars with their arms, who was the actual author of this letter?
This audio is from a 2019 reading of the letter by which modern day master at
the art of chimping?
1.

38. Safety.

39. Ba GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
ANDY SERKIS

40. Ba Attached here is a snippet from a song released in 2018 on SoundCloud.
Look at the somewhat indicative thumbnail and identify the artist behind
this song.
The song samples a 1959 pop song performed by a Canadian Singer/
Songwriter and was all the hype upon release. It was popularly used in the
Silhouette challenge on TikTok. Identify this song.
2.

41. Safety.

42. Ba DOJA CAT
PUT YOUR HEAD ON MY
SHOULDER
FREAK BY

43. Ba In the 1970s, Hong Kong-born American photographer Tseng Kwong Chi went
with his family to dine at Windows on the World. The waiters there mistook them
for VIPs as both Kwong Chi and his father were wearing an item that was, at the
time, associated with a particular world leader. This gave Tseng the idea for his
East Meets West series, a set of vintage “selfies” that were compiled around a 10-
year period from 1979-89.
What item of clothing, also known as a Zhongshan suit, does the artist sport in
these series?
Though it only remained operational for roughly a little over two decades,
Windows on the World was one of the most popular examples of a destination
dining experience. Where was it located?
3.

45. Safety.

46. Ba MAO SUIT
THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE

47. Ba Pictured here is someone after their
performance. Their life served as the
inspiration behind a 1920s story and
subsequently a play.
The play was a hit at broadway, running
about 303 shows in 2 years before it
shut down due to what could be
perceived as a sudden disinterest by the
audience. What prompted the play to
shut down?
4.

48. Safety.

49. Ba People were able to see the play in movie form for
much cheaper and with all of the songs/dialogues
Being the first feature-length motion picture with
both synchronised recorded music and lip-
synchronous singing and speech, added to the hype
for the movie.
THE JAZZ SINGER
THE RELEASE OF

50. Ba What instrument does Tom throw Jerry into here?
It is named after the composer who asked for an instrument that could throw
its sound over the band, thereby creating a booming sound effect.
The piece you hear in the background is a part of the overture of which
operetta composed by Johann Strauss II?
This character from The Tick is named after the operetta. Both the choice for
his name and of his appearance are intentional as the character is supposed
to parody a more famous one from the genre.
5.

53. Safety.

54. Ba SOUSAPHONE
DIE FLEDERMAUS

55. Ba While the artist was painting a scene of Brutus for royalty, he received an
even higher commission from Marie-Anne to paint a couple’s portrait
attached on the next slide. Identify her husband.
On the next slide, you will also find an outfit similar to what Marie-Anne was
initially modelled to wear in the painting. Modern analysis shows that the
artist over-drew the initial consideration, to dress the couple modestly, a final
ditch effort at harbouring a different image for the couple. These efforts
eventually failed as her husband was executed some 6 years after this
painting’s completion. Why were they trying to alter his image and how did
they do it?/ Give funda.
6.

56. INITIAL OUTFIT WAS
SIMILAR TO THIS

57. Safety.

58. Ba There was an effort to make Laviosier look like a
scientist foremost instead of an aristocrat lest the
reign of terror terrorise him too, which ultimately
failed as he was executed by the Guillotine in 1794.
As can be seen in the IRR of the painting, symbols of
wealth such as lavish clothing, intricate tablecloths
and book-collections were done away with in favour
of barometers and relatively muted clothing
choices, to remind people that Lavoisier was first
and foremost a scientist and not a tax collector.
ANTOINE LAVOISIER
INFRARED REFLECTOGRAM (IRR) OF
DAVID’S PORTRAIT OF THE LAVOISIERS

59. Ba Given on the next slide is the trailer for the play Sunshine Super Girl by Andrea
James.
Who is the subject of this work?
The playwright’s great-grandfather was a Tamilian named Thomas Shadrach
James. While he was the first person from his family to reach Australia as a
Methodist preacher, his own parents had left the country in search of work in the
mid-1800s. They settled in an island country which was then under British rule,
and it was here that Thomas was born in 1859.
Which country named after this Dutch ruler, did they settle in? Another member
from the family of the ruler gave their name to the structure shown here.
7.

62. Safety.

63. Ba EVONNE GOOLAGONG CAWLEY
MAURITIUS
The country was named after Maurice of Orange.

64. Ba Masque is the third studio album by a progressive rock band named after a
state in the United States of America, best known for singles such as ‘Dust in
the Wind’. Identify the band.
The album cover features a classical piece of art featuring a chaotic mess of
sea creatures forming a woman's face. Which painter painted this painting
as a part of a thematic series?
8.

65. Safety.

66. Ba Archimboldo’s Water from ‘The Four Elements’ was
used as an album cover.
KANSAS
ARCHIMBOLDO
MASQUE WAS RECORDED BY

67. Ba The 27 odd statues that remain of this Sumerian ruler, Gudea, attest to his
power and importance during his time.
Dated to sometime between 2100-2000 BC, what specific distinction do
these statues grant their subject?
Given, the number of surviving artworks in this finite set, what system has
archaeologists used in naming them?
9.

69. Safety.

70. Ba He is the earliest possible
real-life figure whose
actual appearance has
been agreed upon given
that the statues seem to
depict more or less the
same features
consistently.
They used an alphabetical
system: going from “A”
to “Z,” and then “AA.”

71. Ba _______ is a 1937 novel which is heavily inspired by someone’s works. This was
apparent from the working title of the book, Notes from a hoaxer. In the
book, Hermann Karlovich, contemplates naming his book ‘Dvoynik’ before
realising the title has already been taken. Who inspired the book ?
While adapting _______ in 1978, Reiner Werner Fassbinder made a stylistic
choice with the protagonist’s name, changing it in such a way that it pays
homage to the author’s most known work’s protagonist. What change did he
make and what was the new name a reference to ?
10.

72. Safety.

73. Ba Similar to Lolita’s protagonist Humbert Humbert
FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY
HERMANN HERMANN

74. Ba 1977. YSL launched Opium: a heady mix of fruits and spices that created quite a stir
for its name and marketing, both of which emphasised the product’s sensuality.
1985. Parfums Christian Dior introduced Poison and took a page from YSL’s book,
announcing their product with a risqué name so as to appeal to a similar clientele.
1992. Issey Miyake introduces his L’eau d’Issey, an aquatic floral with a clean, clear
look.
1994. Calvin Klein’s One quickly becomes a popular unisex fragrance, soon after its
debut. Its watery, airy, and clear look is reminiscent of Miyake’s perfume.
Fragrance historian Eugénie Briot attributes this shift from the bold scents to the
sterile ones in the 90s to which announcement that was made on 22 November
1991? The subject, it is said, truly rocked everyone with their news just before passing
away two days later.
11.

76. Safety.

77. Ba Briot notes that following the announcement, there
was a change in the public perception of the body,
especially in terms of its potential for sensuality
FREDDIE MERCURY RELEASING
A PUBLIC STATEMENT
CONFIRMING THAT HE WAS
SUFFERING FROM AIDS

78. Ba Attached on the next slide is a snippet from one of a Palme d’Or winning
director’s works which has been called ‘diagrammatical’ on account of the
zigzag roads in his films (a consequence of his geography of choice).
Identify this director.
This director’s last work before his death was a collection of stills which he
had chose to animate to demonstrate their power. What did he name this
work, an apparent reference to the number of stills and an all too
important technical specification related to movies?
Among these stills, the first is a painting from the 16th century. He chose to
animate smoke from the houses’ chimneys, a few birds flying across the
scene and a dog. Which artwork did he use?
12.

80. Safety.

81. Ba ABBAS KIAROSTAMI
24 FRAMES
THE HUNTERS IN THE SNOW
BY PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER
THE VIDEO WAS FROM ‘WHERE IS THE
FRIEND’S HOUSE’ BY

82. Ba The Poet Laureate John Betjeman never left home without Archie (short for
Archibald Ormsby-Gore). A companion since his childhood, Archie was in his
arms at the time of his death in 1984.
There are multiple references to Archie throughout Betjeman’s works. Here
are two instances from his autobiography, Summoned by Bells (next slide).
What was Archie? Evelyn Waugh used this as the model for Aloysius, whose
inclusion in the 1981 TV adaptation of Brideshead Revisited saw a boom in its
sales.
From the given excerpt, what is peculiar about Betjeman’s autobiography?
13.

83. “And turned to Archibald […]
Whose woollen eyes looked sad or glad at me,”
“Till dissolution, bed and kindly fur
Of agéd, uncomplaining Archibald.”

84. Safety.

85. Ba Jumbo, as the name might suggest, was a stuffed
toy in the form of an elephant.
Betjeman was influenced by the works of
Shakespeare and the Victorians, particularly Robert
Browning’s The Ring and the Book, in this enterprise.
TEDDY BEAR
THE ENTIRE AUTOBIOGRAPHY IS
WRITTEN IN BLANK VERSE

86. Ba When the Welsh trio, Burum, joined forces with three Hindustani musicians, rather
than coming up with a new name, they decided to name their joint venture after the
Hindi equivalent of their Welsh name.
Thus began _______ (7) in 2015, which has since risen in stature as a genre-defying
cross-cultural experiment.
You will hear their cover of a work by Miles Davis.
FITB. (4)
What the dickens is the name of this piece? (3)
Which stringed instrument, played by Suhail Yusuf Khan, do you hear in the
Hindustani classical section of this track? (3)
14.

87. Audio

88. Safety.

89. Ba Burum means “yeast” in Welsh.
The piece by Miles Davis was a part of his 1974
album, Big Fun. The track by Khamira was a part of
their 2022 album, Undod / Unity.
KHAMIRA
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
SARANGI
BUNTY AND BABLI GAVE US

90. Ba 4 questions
Scoring : +10/0
(Part points applicable)
WRITTEN-ROUND 2

91. Ba What connects the following Instagram post by Vicky Kaushal and this
screengrab from Bhool Bhulaiya 3?
If it helps, the director of BB 3 created the blanked out object.
Audience Question

94. Safety.

95. Ba (acceptable variants include: “Painting by Majnu
bhai/Sagar/Sagar Pandey in Welcome”)
“ROCKING HORSE” BY ANEES
BAZMI AND PRITAM PATIL.

96. Ba Set of four questions related to painters/paintings featured in Bollywood films
The Deal

97. Ba The following 2005 digital collage artwork by Tushar Joag was named ______
____ (6, 4). The name of the artwork is a slight modification of a common
English phrase that is often used as a rejoinder on the harsh difficulties of life.
Joag removed one letter from the first word and singularised the second one in
the phrase to emphasise the effect of rising property costs across the country.
What is the name of this artwork?
The works by a budding painter in which 2001 film were created by Joag? To
Joag, these were just commissioned artworks that did not require any display
of his artistry. Hence, as his heart was not really in it, he has since expressed
the desire that he does not want to consider these paintings as his individual
works.
1.

99. Ba In the 1990s, much before he found fame as the artist responsible for the final
painting in Taare Zameen Par, Samir Mondal had a regular column in The
Illustrated Weekly. While originally meant to be like Mario Miranda’s “Laughing
Gas” cartoon strips, Mondal decided to change the regular strip format and
punctuated his with a watercolour in each issue. From this given November 1990
issue, identify the name of this cartoon strip, which is based on funny stories
featuring its titular character.
The same issue featured artwork by Mondal in another article called “Beguiling
Bilhana.” Much like “Bewitching Bhartrhari” and “Amazing Amaru” in the previous
editions from the same year, this section featured translations of a few poems by
the titular poet, translated from Sanskrit by the editor of the magazine. Identify
this translator, a Padma Shri awardee who passed away earlier this year.
2.

101. Ba The scene opens into a black-and-white landscape, where we see a lone
painter working on a wall, while in the background, we hear a looming
thunderstorm. The artist does one half of the wall before moving to the other
and the work finishes with the mysterious appearance of his muse right at
the centre of his tableau.
Identify the painter and where do we see this artwork?
3.

104. Ba Given its period setting, the director of this 2008 film decided that it would
be best to have an actual portrait of the actress Anjori Alagh rather than go
for one generated using computer graphics.
Thus, Alagh, whose cumulative screen time in this film lasts a mere twenty-
minute flashback sequence, had to pose for five hours like a statue while the
artist made her portrait. All was worth it, as, in her own words, the finished
product was “absolutely authentic as it would have looked if made in ____.”
FITB with the name of the film.
4.

106. Ba Exchange your sheets!
ANSWERS

107. Ba The following 2005 digital collage artwork by Tushar Joag was named ______
____ (6, 4). The name of the artwork is a slight modification of a common
English phrase that is often used as a rejoinder on the harsh difficulties of life.
Joag removed one letter from the first word and singularised the second one in
the phrase to emphasise the effect of rising property costs across the country.
What is the name of this artwork?
The works by a budding painter in which 2001 film were created by Joag? To
Joag, these were just commissioned artworks that did not require any display
of his artistry. Hence, as his heart was not really in it, he has since expressed
the desire that he does not want to consider these paintings as his individual
works.
1.

109. Safety.

110. Ba REALTY BITE
DIL CHAHTA HAI

111. Ba In the 1990s, much before he found fame as the artist responsible for the final
painting in Taare Zameen Par, Samir Mondal had a regular column in The
Illustrated Weekly. While originally meant to be like Mario Miranda’s “Laughing
Gas” cartoon strips, Mondal decided to change the regular strip format and
punctuated his with a watercolour in each issue. From this given November 1990
issue, identify the name of this cartoon strip, which is based on funny stories
featuring its titular character.
The same issue featured artwork by Mondal in another article called “Beguiling
Bilhana.” Much like “Bewitching Bhartrhari” and “Amazing Amaru” in the previous
editions from the same year, this section featured translations of a few poems by
the titular poet, translated from Sanskrit by the editor of the magazine. Identify
this translator, a Padma Shri awardee who passed away earlier this year.
2.

113. Safety.

114. Ba MULLA NASRUDIN
PRITISH NANDY

115. Ba The scene opens into a black-and-white landscape, where we see a lone
painter working on a wall, while in the background, we hear a looming
thunderstorm. The artist does one half of the wall before moving to the other
and the work finishes with the mysterious appearance of his muse right at
the centre of his tableau.
Identify the painter and where do we see this artwork?
3.

118. Safety.

119. Ba

120. Ba Given its period setting, the director of this 2008 film decided that it would
be best to have an actual portrait of the actress Anjori Alagh rather than go
for one generated using computer graphics.
Thus, Alagh, whose cumulative screen time in this film lasts a mere twenty-
minute flashback sequence, had to pose for five hours like a statue while the
artist made her portrait. All was worth it, as, in her own words, the finished
product was “absolutely authentic as it would have looked if made in ____.”
FITB with the name of the film.
4.

122. Safety.

123. Ba 1920

124. Ba 14 questions
Anti-Clockwise
Pounce: +10/-5
Bounce: +10/0
Chimping: have you read
the name of the quiz?
DRIES-2

125. Ba Attached on the next slide is a snippet from the last season of a TV Show,
where we can hear a character listening to a song. This song is apt because
of what he is travelling to do.
Identify the song’s artist and the show.
1.

127. Safety.

128. Ba He is going to ‘takeover’ waystar royco

Spoiler : he doesn’t :(
JAY-Z
SUCCESSION
TAKEOVER BY

129. Ba An invocation of the Beth Din or the Din Torah (rough translation: Matter of
litigation) serves as the basis for a 1979 play. The author claims that it is
based on his lived experiences.
It follows three minstrels, who arrive in a town to celebrate a festival, only to
find the population razed due to the Khmelnytsky Uprising. Shocked and
finding only the innkeeper (who is himself traumatised due to witnessing the
brutalisation of his family), they decide to invoke the Beth Din to assign
blame.
What exactly do they do and where did the author allegedly live this
experience? (No part points)
2.

130. Safety.

131. Ba Accept variations such as lawsuit against god due to
nazi atrocities AT concentrations camps
THE TRIAL OF GOD AT
AUSCHWITZ
ELIE WIESEL SAW

132. Ba Released in 2014, TV Dinners is Mumbai-based musician, Mike McCleary’s
debut album. As he wanted to immediately connect with his audience,
McCleary decided to create extended versions of his previous body of work
rather than create completely original songs.
Listen to the two audio tracks and tell me: where would you have heard
versions of these songs before? Need a proper noun in your answer.
If McCleary himself sang the first audio, who is the singer of the second
track? She first came to prominence in 2002 as a member of the girl group
“Viva!” who won the first season of Coke [V] Popstars.
3.

133. Audio 1 Audio 2

134. Safety.

135. Ba VODAFONE ADS
ANUSHKA MANCHANDA
THEY WERE ORIGINALLY JINGLES
COMPOSED FOR

136. Ba Attached on the next slide is a snippet from a 1963 film based off of a much
older work. Identify this work or its subject from the scene depicted.
It is said that this old work inspired someone else to aim for the stars and
write an epic around the fall of Troy. This work glorified virtues and portrayed
a dynasty’s rulers as legitimate descendants of the founders, heroes, and
gods of Troy. Who was thus inspired ?
4.

138. Safety.

139. Ba ARGONAUTICA
VIRGIL’S AENEID
APOLLONIUS RHODIUS’S

140. Ba Attached on the next slide is one British artist’s portrait of his friend,
compatriot and contemporary. Identify both the artists.
While the painter’s identity is best derived from the nature of the artwork, the
subject was a surrealist amongst whose best known works is a portrait of an
overweight civil-servant sleeping on her couch.
5.

142. Safety.

143. Ba The painting was rumoured to have been destroyed
in the January 2025 Los Angeles fires
LUCIAN FREUD
BY FRANCIS BACON
THREE STUDIES OF

144. Ba Pictured here is a common motif from
Christianity which represents Jesus as both
the treader and the trodden.
This motif has since been heavily used in
literature, with someone using this motif as a
simile to describe Satan harassing Christ in
which 17th century sequel?
One of the works that uses this motif was the
Battle Hymn of the Republic, which would go
on to inspire the naming of which 20th
century novel that starts in Oklahoma?
6.

146. Safety.

147. Ba PARADISE REGAINED
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
JOHN MILTON’S

148. Ba This work features three women who have been hired to steal the titular
object from the Louvre.
From the given panels, identify the name of this comic book. The entity that
its name refers to also featured on the first colour poster produced by an
anonymous group of feminist artists in 1989. This poster, ironically, is a part of
the Met. Museum’s collection since 2021.
In her review of the comic, Hillary Brown notes that the manner in which the
characters seem to mock the artwork almost makes the work feel like it’s a
“self-mocking ________ ______.” Which film fills in the blank?
7.

150. Safety.

151. Ba LA GRANDE ODALISQUE
CHARLIE’S ANGELS

152. Ba Attached on the next slide is the song ‘Ae Babu Lu Baba Lu Ba Ba’ by Asha
Bhosle and Kishore Kumar. It has the same tune as a 1958 classic, in which
only 1 word is spoken thrice throughout the whole song. The song in question
is named after something primarily associated with the city of Guadalajara.
Identify the song its based on.
The song in question was also used in a 2017 film’s soundtrack, which
consisted of about 30 classic songs (most notably one by Jon Spencer Blues
Explosion). The song was used as background to an arms deal going wrong.
Identify the 2017 film.
8.

154. Safety.

155. Ba TEQUILA
BABY DRIVER
THE CHAMPS COMPOSED

156. Ba Set in 1993, Shekhar Home adapts Sherlock Holmes to an Indian context. In
the second episode, Das is duped into thinking that he is getting married to a
beautiful woman. The name given to this woman in the episode is supposed
to reflect her celestial beauty. Upon seeing her picture, Saini exclaims: “Isko
toh Miss Universe hona chahiye.”
The main challenge put to Das by his purported in-law is that he has to stay
alone in a forest for a few days. While relaying this to Home, Das compares
himself to a mythological figure.
Who does Das compare himself to or what is the name of the woman in the
episode?
Whose picture was used for this con?
9.

157. Safety.

158. Ba VISHWAMITRA/MENAKA
SUSHMITA SEN

159. Ba Attached on the next slide is a snippet from a music video from the 2000s.
The performers can be seen in the music video and the whole album follows
a similar aesthetic with the album cover also featuring the performers in
similar ‘tribal’ gear. Identify the performers.
The music video was inspired by a trippy 1970s film. In preparation for the
film, the whole cast and development team worked with a Bolivian
philosopher, who encouraged them to dabble in LSD and mushrooms to
explore their spirituality. Identify the film.
10.

161. Safety.

162. Ba MGMT
THE HOLY MOUNTAIN
TIME TO PRETEND BY

163. Ba The second episode of The Studio, “The Oner,” sees Matt Remick desperately
trying to prove to this film director and Oscar-winning script writer that he is an
extremely art-oriented studio head who understands the craft well enough to
know its importance in the stories they tell. Ever the feminist, he emphasises the
importance of women talking in a space of their own.
Identify the director who makes a cameo in this episode.
Alongside Boogie Nights and A Touch of Evil, which political drama, starring
Sergio Corrieri and José Gallardo does Matt refer to while mansplaining “oners”
to the director in this episode?
The narratorial voice of the film in question announces itself right at the very
beginning: “_ __ ____, the ____ […] of the people” – thus giving voice to an entire
nation.
11.

166. Safety.

167. Ba SARAH POLLEY
SOY CUBA / I AM CUBA

168. Ba Born in Damascus, this artist spent his formative years in Clifton, a seaside
locality known for its upscale neighbourhoods. Named after his grandfather, an
erstwhile leader of his nation, he was born while his father was in exile from his
country, having fled after the assassination of their parent.
What is his name (be careful to provide the right suffix)? Need full name.
The artist’s drag persona, Faluda Islam, was introduced in his 2020 video
artwork, ‘Tomorrow We Inherit the Earth’. The character is a reanimated martyr
from a feminist revolution, brought back to tell stories of great resistance
fighters such as Sana’a Mehaidli. Mehaidli died when an Israeli convoy was
blown up in Jezzine, in the midst of the South Lebanon conflict in the 1980s.
By virtue of the nature and her part in her death, what distinction is accorded
to Mehaidli by several contemporary researchers?
12.

170. Safety.

171. Ba His father, Mir Murtaza Bhutto, died in a police
encounter at his home in Clifton, Karachi on 20
Sept. 1996.
Here is an interesting passage on Mehaidli from V. G.
Julie Rajan’s study, Women Suicide Bombers
(Routledge, 2011).
ZULFIKAR ALI BHUTTO, JR.
FIRST FEMALE SUICIDE BOMBER

172. Ba Given on the next slide are two screengrabs from the 1980 Sinhalese film,
Beddegama. Literally translating to “The village in the jungle,” the film is
based on a 1913 work which, in turn, was based on its author’s experiences as
an officer for the British Ceylon Service. The novel was dedicated “To V.W.,”
for whose sake he eventually left Ceylon in 1912.
Who wrote the novel?
Identify this “actor” from the film – an individual whose odyssey with, and
interest in, scuba diving resulted in him moving to Sri Lanka permanently in
1956, till his death in 2008.
13.

175. Safety.

176. Ba LEONARD WOOLF
ARTHUR C. CLARKE

177. Ba Attached here is a painting from 1635. Its
more famous duo, the ending to a well
known parable regarding repentance,
would be painted by the same painter in
1669. Identify the subject of the
painting.
The latter was apparently used as a
framing reference in a 1972 sci-fi film,
which features a scientist, who is a rule-
abiding man but at the end is himself
enchanted by the chance of meeting his
father (albeit not really). Identify this film.
14.

178. Safety.

179. Ba Rembrandt's
Return of the
prodigal son
Tarkovsky’s Solaris