Finals of MELAS Quiz conducted by Conquiztadors in the annual quiz fest, El Dorado.

2. ● 2 Rounds (1 clockwise, 1 anticlockwise)
● 24 Questions
● +10 on Direct
● +10/-5 on Pounce

3. Q.1. Which character?
The sartorial choice for an iconic film character is said to have come from the
actor’s cricket uniform, which they happened to have with them while discussing
the character with the director. The director suggested them to accompany the
outfit with a protective equipment and a headgear, and this is how the entire
look came about.

5. A.1. Alex DeLarge

6. Q.2. Which comic/movie? Identify X.
The name of a DC comic ________ is derived from a latin phrase (which is also a
popular plot device). X is set to star in the DC studio’s live action adaptation of
the comic. With this role X would become the only actor to gain DC role while
also having major roles in all the three prominent pillars of Marvel's big-budget
entertainment - 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, and Disney.
X has also starred in a movie which shares its name with the DC comic and
explores the relationship between a programmer and a sentient robot.

8. A.2. Ex Machina, Oscar Isaac

9. Q.3. FITB. What feat? Who is Slim’s uncle? (3+4+3)
Tour de ________ is a 2017 mockumentary directed by Jake Szymanski which is a
satire of the various incidents and controversies around doping in sports, especially
cycling.
The plot of the movie follows the 1982 Tour de France where all but five cyclists are
disqualified from participating due to doping. One of the these five cyclists is
American cyclist Slim Robinson- the fictional nephew of someone famous, who like
his uncle in a different field wants to achieve a landmark feat in cycling.

11. A.3. Pharmacy, Jackie Robinson, first African-American
person to win the Tour de France

12. Q.4. What did this profound observation inspire?
In a 2009 interview, an English artist stated that his primary reason behind moving to
Los Angeles in 1964 was Julius Shulman’s photograph of Case Study House #21 and
the Physique Pictorial magazine. The magazine’s homoerotic nude photos would
often be shot with minimalist houses in the background, but up until that point the
artist had only seen these in black and white, and now on seeing the houses in
person, a particular architectural feature of the houses intrigued him.
‘As we flew in over Los Angeles I looked down to see blue ________ _____ all over,
and I realised that a ________ ____ in England would have been a luxury, whereas
here they are not, because of the climate.’, said the artist.

14. A.4. Swimming Pools in Hockney’s works

15. Q.5. FITB. Why did several guests cancel last minute?
Where did Bernie’s father drive him to?
_____ ___ is a biographical-comedy film about the bar mitzvah of the young
protagonist Bernie Reubens, inspired partly from the bar mitzvah of film’s
director Paul Weiland OBE.
In the film, Bernie meticulously plans for a lavish and grand affair to upstage his
older brother Alvie’s bar mitzvah. His grand plans get spoiled owing to multiple
financial disasters that his family has to face. He finally has to settle for a less
lavish reception at his home. But to his misfortune, most guests cancel last
minute by making very obvious excuses. In the end, Bernie’s father saves the day
by driving him to a place in time to witness the culmination of something.

17. A.5. Sixty Six, England made it to the Finals of the 1966
FIFAWC,
Wembley Stadium

18. Q.6. Name the band.
Given above is the logo of a band whose name is a portmanteau of the name of
a musician and a major event both of whom met with tragic ends. The
musician is the founding member of one of the most influential bands and a
member of (a “club” of musicians formed among more dire consequences).
The event gave rise to a popular phrase drinking the kool-aid.

20. A.6. Brian Jonestown Massacre

21. Q.7. FITB and Identify the Photojournalist.
Presumably wanting to escape the male gaze
_____ a character in an eponymously named
movie asks for the only young female
photographer standing in the midst of sea of
men, Huma to shoot a portrait of her which is
inspired by X as is evident by the homophonic
name and the neatly draped saree.

23. A.7. Qala, Homai Vyarawalla

24. Q.8. ID X, the person Bishop takes his name from and the
song.
This the album cover of a 2014 hip-hop
collaboration between Bishop _____ and X.
Bishop _____ appears to be inspired by many
Indian influences. He derives the second part of
his name from a prominent historical Indian
political leader, one that often seems to face ire
for being responsible for many of India’s problems
in the present.
Another influence present in the album is an
entire song based on a Sanskrit word that is
integral to Hindu philosophy, that they rap “(is)
the sound of the sun”.

27. A.8. MF Doom, Nehru, Om

28. Q.9. Who is the subject of the poem? Who is the father of
the poet?
The following is an excerpt from a poem
written by Frieda ______ in response to the
BBC making a movie about her mother’s life.
“They require dressings to cover the joins
And disguise the prosthetics
In their remake of my mother.
They want to use her poetry
As stitching and sutures
To give it credibility.
They think I should love it –
Having her back again, they think
I should give them my mother’s words
To fill the mouth of their monster,
Their ______ Suicide Doll,
Who will walk and talk
And die at will,
And die, and die
And forever be dying.”

30. A.9. Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes

31. Q.10. What singing group? Where would all of us have seen them?
The ____ were a popular singing group, and achieved fame in their original singing
career in their native country during the interwar period. After performing at a
festival in 1935, they became a popular touring act initially calling themselves the
"_____ Choir", they began to perform in the United States and Canada. The New York
Times wrote:
There was something unusually lovable and appealing about the modest, serious
singers of this little aggregation as they formed a close semicircle around their self-
effacing director, It was only natural to expect work of exceeding refinement from
them, and one was not disappointed in this

33. A.10. The von Trapp family, The Sound of Music

34. Q.11. Name the film. Why was the film reshot? What event?
Mahjabeen Bano better known as _________ is considered one of the best actresses
in Indian cinema, her roles earning her the title of “the tragedy queen”.
One of her most prominent films was shot over nearly a decade and a half, due to a
myriad of problems, both personal and technical. At one point, the film had to be
reshot, bloating the film’s budget. Despite this, it initially did not attract a huge
audience.
However, an event which occurred roughly 2 months afterwards changed this,
shooting the film to both critical and popular acclaim.

36. A.11. Pakeeza;
switching from black and white to colour film;
Death of Meena Kumari

37. Q.12. Name the tiktok trend and the art movement.
A recent trend on tiktok comprises of stitching together seemingly unrelated clips
together playing along with dark, sad music and often evokes a sense of grief and
nostalgia. Unlike the many TikTok-birthed trends, it stands out for its meta-output
and critique that throws into relief all the “____s”(4) that have come before it—
hence the label “_________(8).”
It has also been compared to an art movement that came a century prior due to
both of them arising out of a state of disillusionment with society and rejection of
norms.
Both of them also share commonalities in their names with a lack of clear meaning
being the less obvious one.

39. A.12. Corecore, Dadaism

40. Q.13. What is this pattern/set? What was the missed
opportunity?
Despite their titleless run in the IPL, Delhi Capitals (formerly Daredevils) have had
a reputation for giving opportunities to young rising stars. This has lead to a
unique pattern that they have maintained over the years on four occasions (2012,
2018, 2022, 2023). They would have the complete set had it not been for a huge
missed opportunity in 2008, which might have changed the course of the team.

42. A.13. Buying all Indian U-19 WC-winning captains, Virat Kohli

43. Q.14. Which two artists?
Atul Dodiya created the pictured artwork, Gangavataram, bringing together the work
of two great artists.
One an early pioneer from the country, while the other an (in)famous French artist
known for his contributions to Cubism and other counter-culture art movements.

46. A.14. Raja Ravi Varma, Marcel Duchamp

47. Q.15. ID X and Y
On 1st April, Shorted India “announced” that X and Y would be collaborating to
create franchise called “Sadboi Universe”:
“The "Sadboi Universe" is a collection of films that will explore the complex and
intricate emotions of the modern man, and showcase the male perspective on
love and relationships, which is often neglected in mainstream cinema.
With X's storytelling skills and Y’s unique visual style, the "Sadboi Universe"
franchise is sure to be a treat for moviegoers worldwide.”

50. A.15. Imtiaz Ali, Tim Burton

51. Q.16. Identify X, Y and how were X & Y related?
Shown here is a photograph from the
project Retake of X titled "Dancing in the
life-class" curated by artist Y. Y's work is
again in the spotlight after their
unfortunate demise. Y' work often gave
a deep insight into X's life and story
because of their relationship, exposing
their family memories. X's famous style
of blending western techniques with
Indian realism highly influenced the
foundation for Y's career.

54. A.16. X:Amrita Shergill; Y: Vivian Sundaram

55. Q.17. Who replaced Haillet and where?
Robert Haillet was a French tennis player who is known for his 1958 French
Championships run which saw him reach the finals before losing to the eventual
champion Nicola Pietrangeli. He then joined Jack Kramer’s pro league in the mid
60s which led to him gaining popularity within the US. This garnered him
attention from a sports brand looking to increase their presence in the US and
resulted in the company naming a line of product after him.
But after his retirement, the company was looking for someone to replace him
and found the perfect person in the form of a Wimbledon winning American
player who had a significant fan-following.

57. A.17. Adidas Stan Smith

58. Q.18. Where would you have heard this song more
recently?
Tomoko Aran is a pop singer and lyricist. Aran got her start writing music at the
age of 19, later making her singing debut in 1981 with the single "Kanashiki
Vaudevillian." She released nine albums for Warner Bros. Records between 1981
and 1990, and was largely known for her work in the City Pop genre. The
following is a snippet of her song midnight pretenders.

60. A.18. Out of Time- Weeknd

61. Q.19 FITB. Identify X.
____ _ ___ _____ (4,1,3,5) is the title of a
32 page picture book illustrated by
prominent New York artist Rudy Gutierrez
which is an autobiographical account of X’s
life. Aimed at children, this book delves into
X’s childhood in the war-torn nation of
Somalia, his experience as a refugee in
Canada and his childhood love for music,
through the lens of his most famous work.

63. A.19.When I Get Older, Knaan

64. Q.20 Identify the painter. What technique?
Owen Wilson is set to star in a biographical drama entitled PAINT based on the
life of a famous American painter. This painter has gained widespread internet
popularity posthumously for his instructional videos.
The story of how this painter came to master the technique for painting Alaskan
landscapes was when once he was working as a bartender he came across a TV
show that taught him the technique of alla prima.
Alla prima or ___ __ ___ (3,2,3) is Italian for 'first attempt' and employs a
technique that is different from what is traditionally done in oil painting. In the
show that X watched, the host demonstrated how the technique allowed him to
complete a painting in just thirty minutes.

66. A.20. Bob Ross, Wet on Wet

67. Q.21 What was the device named?
Amy Radcliffe, a designer at Central Saint Martins art school in London,
wondered whether there would be a way to capture fleeting olfactory
memories before they disappear into thin air. Trying to answer the problem,
she came up with an ingenious device that can capture and reproduce odours
accurately, and named it after a French small cake, which when dipped in tea,
brought back nostalgic memories in an early 20th century work.

69. A.21. Madeleine, from Remembrance of Things Past

70. Q.22 What hip-hop inspired name was the trio given?
Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin played as a trio for the NBA
team Golden State Warriors in the 89-90 and 90-91 seasons, during the latter of
which they were the league’s highest scoring trio. Due to their high-speed
gameplay, they were given a nickname which was a play on the name of a famous
hip-hop group.

72. A.22. RunTMC

73. Q.23. What historic first has he been given part
credit for?
Born Nirmal Singhji, Guruji is a renowned figure across the
city where his photo can be found hanging in every other
home. His devotees have been cured of life-threatening
diseases, achieved huge professional success, among other
things all (according to his devotees) due to his blessings.
The latest in his list of contributions came about last
month, resulting in a historic first for the country.

75. A.23. Being thanked in an Oscar’s acceptance speech

76. Q.24. FITB and give X
_______ art is a scroll painting style originated in _______ village in Telangana
and is a form of visual storytelling which tells tales from religious texts and of
rural life on painted scrolls. Given below is the betrothal of X, one of the major
subjects of such paintings.

79. A.24: Cheriyal; Sri Venkateswara