1. Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaye
The Indian Summer Open
nd
2 Sept 2012
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2. The Prelims
● 35 questions
● Tie Breaker order
– Question numbers 5, 15, 25, 35 are single starred
– Questions 10, 20, 30 are two part questions (2 pointers)
– Count down from Question 1 onwards
● Top 6 teams + Draft Picks from Teams 7, 8, 9 (as per BCQC tradition)
● Questions are clearly written on the slide, please don't make up your
own assumptions on what the question is or should be.
● I am not an answer Nazi nor a memory Nazi. If you have got the
keywords that I am looking for, you will get your points
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3. © Anannya Deb

4. baadalon ka naam na ho ambar ke gaon mein
jalta ho jangal khud apni chhaaon mein
yahi to hai mausam
(Kamlesh Pande, Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaye)
The Indian Summer Open
Prelims
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5. Prelims 1
After moving to Pune from Dharwad where he was born, he found
employment as a mali at the Poona Club. The white gentlemen who came
to practice their forward defensive needed some one to bowl at them. So
this mali was drafted in. JG Greig, the best batsman at that time, even paid
him 8 annas everytime he dismissed them. He was so good that he now
earned three times his actual salary as a gardener making him perhaps the
first Indian professional cricketer. Give me the full name of this mali?
mali?
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6. Prelims 1 – Answer
Palwankar Baloo
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7. Prelims 2
Who (full name please), in his chronicles of his adventures titled There and
please),
Back Again, said, “Adventures! Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make
Again, “Adventures!
you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them. ”?
them.”?
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8. Prelims 2 – Answer
Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, The Shire
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9. Prelims 3
What two word name of an entity from 1930 would you associate with
these two people in this photograph – Mrs Nan Graham and Dr BH
McKeeby of Cedar Rapids, Iowa?
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10. Prelims 3
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11. Prelims 3 – Answer
American Gothic. They were the two models – Nan Wood Graham, Grant
Gothic.
Wood's sister and Dr Byron McKeeby, his dentist.
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12. Prelims 4
When Gulzarsaab wrote
“Tujhse milna purani Dilli mein
Chhod aaye nishani Dilli mein
Ballimaran se Daribe talak,
teri meri kahani Dilli mein”,
to which former resident of this two-storey haveli at the end of Galli
Qasim Jaan was he probably giving a reverential nod?
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13. Prelims 4
Photo source
(thedelhiwalla.com)
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14. Prelims 4 – Answer
Ghalib (will accept Mirza Asadullah Beg and Asad, his other commonly
Asad,
used pen name)
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15. Prelims 5
In A Hundred Years of Solitude , Melquiades the gypsy once brought these
Solitude,
two devices (A and B) as gifts for Jose Arcadio Buendia declaring that they
were “the latest discovery of the Jews of Amsterdam ”. Indeed, the first known
“the Amsterdam”.
products came from the Netherlands and Italy. There is a record of a patent
hearing for the invention of A in 1608 at the Dutch States General. Further,
Spinoza's main trade was making the key element in one of those devices.
In 1611, through the usage of this device, the magnitude of the universe as
known to man permanently changed. For 1 point, I will give you three
choices. Either name one of the devices (A or B) or give me Spinoza's
trade.
trade.
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16. Prelims 5 – Answer
A = Telescope or B = Magnifying Glass. Spinoza was a lens grinder
Glass. Spinoza
(mostly for spectacles and magnifying glasses)
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17. Prelims 6
In the days of the Raj (actually the chaotic days that saw the decline of the
Mughals and the rise of the ECI after Plassey), the phansigars were
criminals who would join a group of travellers, win their confidence and at
the opportune moment strangle them first and then knife them to death.
The property of the victims was then divided up. Hobson Jobson reports
that another word came to refer to these criminals after the 1836
publication of Sir William Sleeman's Ramaseeana ; or a Vocabulary of the
peculiar language used by _____ with an Introduction and Appendix, descriptive
of that Fraternity and Measures taken by the Supreme Government of India for its
Suppression. What word?
Suppression. word?
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18. Prelims 6 – Answer
Thugs or Thuggee
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19. Prelims 7
The World Cup winning Japanese women's football team had to travel
economy class to the Olympics while their men travelled business class.
This was part of a Japanese policy where female athletes and amateurs are
restricted to economy class while professionals (men mostly) can travel by
business class. There are two exceptions amongst amateurs who are
entitled to business class. The first is over-sized athletes. Which is the
other exception?
exception?
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20. Prelims 7 – Answer
Judokas.
Judokas.
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21. Prelims 8
In his 1991 posthumous collection of essays, for what word did Italo
Calvino give 14 different definitions (and some of my favourites are given
below)
The _______s are those books about which you usually hear people saying 'I'm
re-reading...' never 'I'm reading'
A _______ is a term given to any book which comes to represent the whole
universe, a book on par with ancient talismans
A _______ is a book which has never exhausted all it has to say to its readers
A _______ is a work which constantly generates a pulviscular cloud of critical
discourse around it but which always shakes the particles off
A _______ is a book which with each rereading offers as much of a sense of
discovery as the first reading
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22. Prelims 8 – Answer
Classic
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23. Prelims 9
The Jama'atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda'Awati Wal Jihad started life in 2003 in the
northern part of this African country by creating an isolated community
guided by Sharia Law. In 2011, they burst into international headlines
when a suicide bomber drove a truck into the United Nations compound in
the capital killing many. What is the more common name of this group
given to it by members of the public in derision after listening to their
views on the intellectual poverty and unIslamic nature of western
education and books?
#fidel
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24. Prelims 9 – Answer
Boko Haram from Nigeria
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25. Prelims 10
This is a very common tropical flower from the genus Plumeria. I saw this
Plumeria.
all over Sri Lanka where they call it the Buddhism flower because of its
abundance near all the major Buddhist sites. Give me two names: The
names:
Hindi name which is also a name of an old clan / dynasty from South East
Asia and the common English name which I found out quite late is not a
British Raj legacy but rather comes from an Italian noble family who
created a perfume out of it.
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26. Prelims 10
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27. Prelims 10
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28. Prelims 10 – Answer
Champa and Frangipani (which I always thought was Firangi pani or
foreigner water for some strange reason)
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29. Prelims 11
In 1963, when asked by Christian Century to list 10 books which “did most to
“did
shape your vocational attitudes and your philosophy of life ”, what was the 1st
life”,
book in J Robert Oppenheimer's list?
1. ________ ____
2. The Wasteland, TS Eliot
Wasteland,
3. Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Hamlet,
4. Les Fleurs du Mal, Baudelaire
Mal,
5. The Divine Comedy, Dante
Comedy,
6. Notebooks, Michael Faraday
Notebooks,
7. L'Educationale Sentimentale, Flaubert
Sentimentale,
8. Theaetus, Plato
Theaetus,
9. Collected works of German mathematician GF Bernhard Reimann
10.Shatakatrayam (The Three Centuries), Bhartrihari
Shatakatrayam (The Centuries)
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30. Prelims 11 – Answer
The Bhagavad Gita
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31. Prelims 12
While reading this poem which had a subtitle An Agony in 8 ____ on my
Kindle, I checked the entry for this blanked out word in the OED which
was pre-installed in the device. There were three meanings. In the third,
relevant to poetry, it said
n., Archaic, a section of a poem
Origin: related to a German word which meant “ skein of yarn” and used to
“skein yarn”
refer to the “thread used by weavers to mark off a day's work ”.
“thread work”.
What is this word?
word?
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32. Prelims 12 – Answer
Fit(s) as in The Hunting of the Snark – An Agony in 8 Fits by Lewis Carroll
Fit(s)
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33. Prelims 13
Ophiophagy is a property shared by eagles, skunks, secretary birds, lizards
and the king cobra among others. In fact the king cobra species is called
ophiophagus hannah. Flags of many countries often depict the eagle in the act
hannah.
of ophiophagy. What is ophiophagy?
ophiophagy?
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34. Prelims 13 – Answer
“Snake Eating”. King Cobras regularly prey on other snakes.
Eating”.
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35. Prelims 14
Lt Noel Poole, as part of Operation Titanic, on 0011 hours set up record
players at a particular location to broadcast battle sounds in order to
confuse the Germans. He is thus credited to be the first Allied soldier to
do what?
what?
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36. Prelims 14 – Answer
Land at the Normandy beaches
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37. Prelims 15
Through these pictures published in People's War, the official mouthpiece
War,
of the Communist Party of India, which event heavily censored and
covered-up by the authorities was brought to the attention of the nation
and the world by photographer Sunil Janah?
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38. Prelims 15
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39. Prelims 15 – Answer
The Bengal Famine of 1943-44 which killed 2 million people and the news
of which was censored by the British government
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40. Prelims 16
Written in 1955 when this region was selected under Khruschev's Virgin
Lands program which envisaged making this area the granary of the Soviet
Union, which song really starts with this stanza?
Sky of golden sun
Steppe of golden seed
Legend of courage
Take a look at my country!
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41. Prelims 16 – Answer
The Kazakhi National Anthem Mene Khazakhstanam and not what this lady
had to hear
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42. Prelims 17
After the city was founded in the 8th century CE by Idris I, a descendent of
the Prophet, in 808 CE it became the capital of the Idrissid dynasty, the first
ruling clan of this country. It is the home of the Qarawiyin University, the
oldest extant university in the Arab world. Established c 800 CE, the
university served as the nerve centre of knowledge and the transmission of
knowledge into Europe through the spread of Moorish culture in Spain
was aided by the presence of many contemporary scholars here. Much of
the gloom of the Dark Ages in Europe was balanced by the luminescence of
this university. Name the historic city?
city?
#fidel
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43. Prelims 17 – Answer
Fez (Old Fez or Fez el Bali is the present name to differentiate from the
(Old
modern town of Fez)
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44. Prelims 18
In his book Cosmos, while explaining the concept of fractals, Carl Sagan
Cosmos,
shows that when a teacup is broken, the different parts or pieces of the
teacup cannot be put together again. He said scientists, looking for some
colour in their lives, gave a nice evocative name to this phenomenon or
effect. What was this effect called?
called?
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45. Prelims 18 – Answer
The Humpty Dumpty Effect
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46. Prelims 19
This church (and Dominican convent) in Italy was bombed by the Allies in
1943. However, the Renaissance dome survived as well as the wall that you
see, covered with sandbags and cloth. What is on the wall?
wall?
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47. Prelims 19
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48. Prelims 19 – Answer
The Last Supper by Da Vinci in the dining hall of Santa Maria della Grazie
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49. Prelims 20
Made in 1968, the hole where the heart is indicates open heartedness while
the hole in the head indicates open mindedness, the two qualities of a true
scientist. The sphere suspended by a chain refers to an iconic incident in
the life of the person depicted. Name the artist and the person to whom
the artist is thus paying homage?
homage?
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50. Prelims 20
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51. Prelims 20 – Answer
This is Salvador Dali's Homage to Newton
Dali's
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52. Prelims 21
This Robert Browning 1879 poem about an ancient Greek hero is an
extremely influential one. Browning says the meaning of the word Rejoice
as understood today comes from this incident. The last stanza of this long
poem goes like this:
... and the space 'twixt the fennel-field
And Athens was stubble again, a field which a fire runs through,
Till in he broke: “Rejoice, we conquer!” Like wine thro' clay
“Rejoice, conquer!”
Joy in his blood bursting his heart, he died – the bliss
...
So, to this day, when friend meets friend, the word of salute
Is still “Rejoice”! ...
“Rejoice”!
Name the protagonist / title of the poem
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53. Prelims 21 – Answer
Pheidippides (also written in some texts as Philippides)
Philippides)
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54. Prelims 22
Another poem question but about something else. It took him more than 20
years to work this 1795 poem into his composition. One tricky bit was the
introduction. So he added a verse before the actual poem. It goes like this
(English translation):
Oh friends, not these tones!
Rather, let us raise our voices in more pleasing
And more ______ sounds!
___! (___!)
___! (___!)
Give the missing word / poem?
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55. Prelims 22 – Answer
Joy! (the opening lines that Beethoven added to Schiller's poem Ode to Joy)
Joy)
The original poem starts:
Joy, beautiful spark of gods
Daughter of Elysium
We enter, drunk with fire
Heavenly one, your sanctuary!
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56. Prelims 23
What is the blacked out word / name in this tweet posted on August 22nd
2012?
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57. Prelims 23
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58. Prelims 23
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59. Prelims 23 – Answer
August 22nd is The Martian Chronicles author Ray Bradbury's 92nd birthday.
Bradbury's
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60. Prelims 24
Undergrad students at Davidson College, North Carolina set up this
website as part of their course on Modernism. Called Manifesto, it was a
Manifesto,
database containing bibliographical information of a series of publications
which came out in America (and other parts of the world as well) which
were instrumental in driving Modernism and its different forms. Usually
published non-commercially, the average subscriptions were in the range
of 1000 – 10,000. The content was usually long studies on experimental art,
literature, alternative social theories and political comment. The website
was called Manifesto because each of these publications had one. What is
the two word term used to refer to these publications? India has many of
these in different languages.
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61. Prelims 24
Little Magazine
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62. Prelims 25
In the early days of the Tour de France, as the cyclists went through
various towns and villages, the local people took active interest in helping
their city boys riding in the race. In 1904, in St Etienne, a mob held the
leading pack hostage so that the cyclist from the town Antoine Faure could
take the lead. Shots had to be fired in the air to disperse them. Later, when
the race was passing through Alais, the citizens protested that their cyclist
Ferdinand Payan had been dis qualified. What did the Alais folk do to
disq
express their anger?
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63. Prelims 25 - Answer
They put nails and broken glass on the road which caused many a flat
tyre.This year, it happened again closing out any hopes that defending
champion Cadel Evans had of retaining his title.
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64. Prelims 26
This song begins with a close resemblance to a 1967 rock classic. On the
website of the band where all the different covers (legal and illegal) are
listed and reviewed, Sam Cameron, a writer, says,
“The vocal does start off carrying the basic melody of the organ introduction to
<THE SONG> long enough for it to be recognisable, and the word sounds fall
rhythmically into a pattern you could karaoke with to the <THE SONG>. But
SONG>.
by the time it gets to where the singing would start on the original <THE
SONG>, it begins to deviate: although the passage with the resemblance does
SONG>,
come back after some lengthy absences. So that is that...”
Name the original rock song?song?
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65. Prelims 26
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66. Prelims 26
A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
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67. Prelims 27
Contrary to popular belief, the '80s reggae song that you are probably
familiar with is actually a cover version. Name the singer-songwriter who
also featured with Laurence Olivier in a remake of a historic film?
?
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68. Prelims 27
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69. Prelims 27 – Answer
Neil Diamond
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70. Prelims 28
Name the traditional song form which is the basis for the music of this
band though they have modernised it breaking away from the tradition of
the nature of the lyrics as well as not wearing the black shawl. In this song,
they sing “____ corrupts the soul with demons but without ____ and without
“____
love what is left.”
left.”
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71. Prelims 28
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72. Prelims 28 – Answer
Fado, the Portuguese song. Deolinda gives fado a new form
Fado,
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73. Prelims 29
I am playing this video purely for aesthetic reasons. Name the TV show
associated with the music you will hear perform by these twins.
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74. Prelims 29 – Answer
Game of Thrones. (Since I asked for the TV Show, I will unfortunately not
Thrones.
accept Song of Ice and Fire for the answer.)
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75. Prelims 30
Trying to frame the question is more difficult than the answer itself. This
song is based on a 20th century Urdu poem which in turn incorporates a
poem written by a 13th century literateur. The languages used (other than
Urdu) will give a clue as to older poet. Name both – the 20th century poet
and the 13th century poet.
poet.
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76. Prelims 30
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77. Prelims 30 – Answer
Tina Sani's Meri Araj Suno is based on Nazr-e-Khusro by Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Nazr-e-
mori arj suno (nazar-e-khusro)
"mori arj suno dasatgeer peer"
"mai ri' kahooN ka se maiN
apne jiya ki peed"
"nayiya bandho re'
bandho re kinar-e-darya'"
"more mandir ab kiyooN nahi aaye"
is soorat se
arj sunate
dard batate
nayiya khete
minnat karte
rasta takte
kitni sadiyaN beet gayi haiN
ab ja kar ye bhed khula hai
jis ko tum ne arj guzari
jo tha haath pakadni wala
jis ja laagi naoo tumahri
jis se dukh ka daroo manga
tore mandir meiN jo nahi aaya
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78. Prelims 31
Who is the second actor from this 2011 film who is quite unrecognisable in
a 2012 release?
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79. Prelims 31 - Answer
Tom Hardy
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80. Prelims 32
Identify La Divina lady about whom it was said that her voice was
difficult to describe because on one hand it was ugly, flawed and
unattractive but on the other side “ a rich, spinning sound, ravishing by any
“a
standard, capable of delicate dynamic nuance ”. The debate still continues.
nuance”.
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81. Prelims 32 - Answer
Maria Callas whose voice quality declined after she shed 36kgs
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82. Prelims 33
Name the Academy Award winning director whose Captain Ahab-like
obsession with an elephant forms the story of this film?
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83. Prelims 33 - Answer
John Huston
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84. Prelims 34
Name the director of this film who is forever known for this technique
used in his films?
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85. Prelims 34 - Answer
Ken Burns after whom the Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro is named.
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86. Prelims 35
What unusual feature does this film share with Heer Ranjha?
Ranjha?
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87. Prelims 35 - Answer
Dialogues in verse. Also The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
verse.
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88. END OF PRELIMS
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