MELA Finals

MELA Quiz
Inter IIT Cultural Meet - 2017
Research, Presentation & Conducted by
Somnath Chanda

Format of the Quiz
• Write Bros.
• Mixed Bag.
• Write Bros II.
• Mixed Bag II.

Please Remember…..
• Bold words in the questions are distinct
clues. Try to decipher the clues judiciously.
• Look for the underlined words to answer.
• The icons used in the question slide has
certain meanings :----
Visual Video Audio

What’s in Offer….
 Written Round
 The round is about inspired works
 Answers are all related to MELA
 Marks for each correct answer :--
+ 10 marks : (without stake)
+ 15 / - 05 : (with stake)

Questions by SomnathMELA Quiz (Grand Finale) Inter IIT Cultural Meet - 2017I I
This Coat of Arms of an European city famously
inspired which medallion?
*

The Golden Palm
at Cannes
*

The statues installed at the Wimbledon before the
2008 edition was inspired from which work of art,
discovered on 29 March 1974 by some farmers
digging a water well near Mount Li?
1

Which 19th century literary work, created huge
controversy because of the mention of the British
slave trade, inspired all these later works?
2

This
cartoon
published in
the New
Yorker
magazine in
2015 was
heavily
inspired by
which
artwork?
3

The illustration, depicting a particular creation of
Lewis Carroll, partly inspired a s creation. The
person associated with the later one became quite
upset when he came to know about the villainous
traits of the character in the original.
Which s creation was that?
4

This dramatic scene from the recent movie
Murder on the Orient Express has been inspired
from which iconic artwork?
5

Terracotta Army1

Mansfield Park2

‘The Death of Socrates’ by
Jacques-Louis David
3

I Am The Walrus4

The Last Supper5

 16 Questions
 Infinite Bounce + Pounce
+ 10 marks : (Bounce)
+ 10 / - 05 : (Pounce)
 Half Points available as and when
specified by QM
 Please remember the sequence M-E-L-A

The book is yet to be published but already a
television drama series has been planned by
Showtime. This political crime thriller, revolving a
sitting President, promises a kinetic experience, one
that the book world has salivated over for months .
Who is going to make his/her debut as a writer
through this eagerly awaited book?
*

Bill Clinton*

The lowest of the standard four voice ranges, it is
also the lowest melodic line in a musical
composition, often thought of as defining and
supporting the harmony. The already familiar term
got more popularity in this part of the world in
mid-2016 because of someone s supposed
fondness towards it.
What is that one-word term?
1

Bass1

During Pope John Paul II s 3rd visit to the USA in
1987, lot of diplomatic changes took place. He was
officially received as a Head of State by Ronald
Reagan. His 10-day tour -- which included stops in
Columbia, S.C., New Orleans, San Francisco, Detroit
and Los Angeles, where he met with Clint Eastwood -
coincided with bicentennial celebrations of the
Constitution. Also to honour him, a small, but very
significant, deletion was made to an iconic landmark.
What was deleted?
2

One L was deleted from
HOLLYWOOD sign
2

British Library is hosting an exhibition from 20 Oct
2017 – 28 Feb 2018. It will combine centuries-old
British Library treasures, including the Chinese
Oracle bones with the modern items. Other exhibits
include – Ripley Scroll (a 6 mt long alchemical
manuscript from the 16th century), historical texts on
the safest way to harvest a mandrake or dispose of
a cursed ring, a Celestial Globe dating from 1693
and an early record of abracadabra .
What is the primary theme of this exhibition?
3

3
Ripley Scroll

3
Celestial Globe by Vincenzo Coronelli

Harry Potter3

This group of four, all past their prime years, were
discarded from their homes. One by one they left their
homes and set out together for a city, known for its
freedom, to practise music there. On their way they
were attacked by robbers. One of the robbers had a
harrowing experience and he informed that he was
beset by a horrible witch who scratched him with her
long fingernails, an ogre with a knife, a giant who
had hit him with his club and the judge who
screamed from the rooftop. Thus the legend started.
Where can you see this group together?
4

Town Musicians of
Bremen
4

This rock number, originally written by Alan
Merrill of the Arrows, was made popular by Joan
Jett & the Blackhearts in 1982.
In the recent past, where this number has been
popularly used?
5

5

Two movies, released in 1987 and 1992
respectively, has some interesting common
elements. Apart from the Francis Ford Coppola s
The Godfather-inspired storyline, the films also
had the same lead actor. Interestingly, the story of
the 1992 film was written by the same actor.
Identify both the films which were the Indian
entries for the Best Foreign Language Film
category at The Oscar.
6

Nayakan (1987) &
Thevar Magan (1992)
6

When she was thirty-three, she spent some time in
Brighton with Charles Dickens. On 18 February
1849, Dickens wrote to her that strange things were
happening at his hotel. Dickens wondered if she was
haunting him, penning her, "I hope you won't do
so". Three years later, when she was on her
deathbed, Dickens visited her, becoming one of the
last non-family members, to see her alive.
Who was she?
7

Ada Lovelace7

It all started in 1975 when Hervé Poulain casually
asked his friend Alexander Calder to decorate
something for him. The craze caught on and following
the contributions by artists like David Hockney, Roy
Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, Chinese multimedia
artist Cao Fei, at 39, is the latest and also the
youngest to get involved.
Which project is this?
8

BMW Art-Car Project8

The brief given to Storm Thorgerson was to think
about something which should be absolutely simple.
One fine morning, Thorgerson simply drove out into
the rural area near Potters Bar, England and saw
Lulubelle III grazing all alone on the vast green
land. He took a photograph.
Where can you see that photograph of Lulubelle
without any accompanying text?
9

Album cover of
Atom Heart Mother
9

I remember Emma and I made a trip with a friend
of ours on a boat — many years ago. We thought it
would take us six or seven hours. It took 18 to 19
hours. It was very, very cold. The sea was very, very
rough with the channels. We came out of that
experience . . . with a great amount respect for the
reality of what actually happened …. someone
reminiscenced about this family trip taken in 1997.
Why it came into discussion in 2017?
10

‘Dunkirk’
by Christopher Nolan
10

During the s, a severe outbreak of drought took
place in Mysore. A large number of people came into
Bangalore, where relief was available. These people had
to work on the Bangalore-Mysore railway line in
exchange for food and grains. In extreme desperation,
the municipal council even decided to resort to rituals
and prayer. A group of Brahmins stood on the parched
bed of the river Kaveri. On the twelfth day it rained. All
these events ultimately inspired someone to write a
novel which later on won the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Name it.
11

The Guide11

Created by Cuban
artist Alexandre
Arrechea, this
installation is originally
called Orange Tree .
Whose exploits
provided the basic
components to create
it and is also reason
behind it s popular
name?
12

Shaq12

California- based performer Rebecca Black literally
broke the internet with her 2011 creation named
after the Old English goddess Frigg . Thus started a
phenomena and it introduced a genre which has it s
own fan following. Indian Ocean s bassist Rahul Ram
had two short Hindi words to offer when asked about
this genre – Dekh mat .
Identify this genre which has seen a fresh bout of
popularity in Indian subcontinent in the recent times.
13

Cringe Pop13

Where have one see (or failed to see) the Japanese
sushi recipes scanned from the cookbooks of
Japanese Cuisine of a certain Mrs. Whitley?
14

The Matrix Codes14

The language Ramasee was active in the Indian
subcontinent since the 1500s and in its heydays,
had about 100,000 speakers. But it became extinct
by the 1850s, after a heavy crackdown upon its
speakers.
Which particular group of people used to speak
Ramasee?
(The group itself is responsible for the creation of a
word in English language)
15

Thugees15

Official brochure mentioned the use of devil s
number - 666 (though 672 was also mentioned
once). The number 666 was also mentioned in
various newspaper reports. The authority,
however, stated that the finished product contains
673 pieces (603 rhombi and 70 triangles). A higher
figure was obtained by David A. Shugarts, who
reports that it contains 689 pieces.
Which modern-day landmark, initially thought of
as inconsistent with the classic Renaissance style,
is this?
16

Louvre Glass Pyramid16

 Written Round
 The round is about Musicians portrayed
on Screen
 Answers are all related to MELA
+ 10 marks : (without stake)
+ 15 / - 05 : (with stake)

In the movie titled The Night We Called It a Day ,
whom did Dennis Hopper play?
*

Frank Sinatra*

Whom did Diana Ross portray in this 1972
American biographical drama film Lady Sings the
Blues ?
1

Before he was a made-for-TV wacko, Gary Busey was
a pretty fine actor – and never better than when he
played the title role in a 1978 biopic about a man
who is said to be responsible for the observance of a
particular day.
Whom did he play?
2

Allegedly based on the two Mangeshkar sisters, this
film also has Zakir Hussain in it s cast whose
character has shades of which real life person?
3

Gary Oldman has said he doesn t like his haunted and
ferocious performance as the self-destructive and
ill-fated character in this movie, but most would
disagree with him.
Whom was he playing on screen?
4

As per the trade reports, Abhishek Bachchan has
begun preparing for his forthcoming movie by
regularly listening to the songs from Guru Dutt s
Pyasa to Yash Chopra s Trishul.
Who is he going to play in that movie where
Deepika Padukone is set to play an important
character?
5

Billy Holliday1

Buddy Holly2

R.D. Burman3

Sid Vicious4

Sahir Ludhianvi5

Which desi-movie,
inspired from this one,
acted as the perfect
launchpad for designer
Manish Malhotra?
(The Indian film received
7 Filmfare awards
including a Special Jury
Award for Asha Bhosle)
*

Rangeela*

While a struggling art student and designer of light
fixtures, Elliot partnered with Harold Matson to
design a realistic-looking miniature piano out of two
newfound types of plastics - Lucite and Plexiglas,
that received roughly 300,000 orders. However, they
mispriced the product and lost a dime on each one
produced. The Uke-A-Doodle, a child-size ukelele,
was the first in a line of their products that gave the
company its first staple business.
Which company is this?
1

Mattel1

Who is the actor seen here in the still from the
2011 movie – The Artist ?
(In 2012, he received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame)
2

Malcolm Mcdowell2

Fabian Escalante, after his years of experience as a
Diplomat has written quite a few number of books on
some eventful chapters of his professional life. In
one of his books, titled Executive Action he vividly
described more than 600 failed methods that had
been employed to execute a particular task. The
methods included the application of a sea-shell, a
customised diving suit and botox.
What was that book all about?
3

Assassination Attempts
on Castro
3

This particular version of the Adoration of the Magi
(vis) by Botticelli featured quite a few real-life
persons. There were four members of the Medici
family, Florence s most powerful family at that time.
The person kneeling in front of the baby was Cosimo,
the founder of that family.
Who was, allegedly, the blonde man with yellow
mantle on the far right of the frame?
4

4

Botticelli himself4

Who is singing this song that was long-listed for
the 2015 Oscars for Best Original Song?
5

Al Pacino5

Since 1957, films made by five women directors
have been selected as India s Entry to the Oscars.
Four of this set of famous-five are – Mira Nair (in
1988 for Salaam Bombay!), Deepa Mehta (in 1999
for Earth), Anusha Rizvi (in 2010 for Peepli Live)
and Geetu Mohandas (in 2014 for Liar’s Dice).
Who is the remaining one in this list?
6

Kalpana Lazmi
(for ‘Rudaali’)
6

The search for a good round English one was
going on earnestly. P. S. Burton, Kenneth Miles
and H. Lewis Allways were discarded.
Who or what was ultimately selected?
7
(Clue)

George Orwell
(after River Orwel)
7

Steve Berke, a graduate of Yale University, was
gifted a 113-year-old building by his estate agent
parents. They had a plan to turn it into residential
flats. But Steve and his friends had some elevated
ideas. They called legendary painter and graphic
artist Kenny Scharf to refurbish the property. Some
of the artworks he created are shown in the next
slide.
What this property has been turned into?
8

8

International Church
of Cannabis
8

9
Taken from the movie Bandish …sung by
Lata Mangeshkar and composed by Hemanta
Mukherjee….Whose only (credited) work as
lyricist?

Pt. Ravi Shankar9

10
This particular experiment with the Rutherford
Raiders, a student-team taking part in the inter-mural
football league at Kent University, was highly
ridiculed by the authorities. After that failed bid, a top
ranking Italian team is being searched for the next
level. In between, some extreme-sports teams and
basketball franchises are going to be tried out.
What is being explained?

Sports teams being
Sponsored by Pornhub
10

11
This budding artist (vis) pursued a five-year course
in Fine Arts from Sir J. J. School of
Art, Mumbai through distance as a private student, so
that he could apply as a drawing teacher at schools,
but he discontinued.
Which elderly gentleman whom everyone came to
know for the first time in 1971, gave him his reason
for immortality?

11

Chacha Chowdhury11

The Age of Bronze is a seminal
work by Rodin. Highly
appreciated for it s realistic
detailing, it unfortunately
created a scandal upon it s
display in Paris in 1877.
For what specific reason was
Rodin held for questioning?
12

He was accused of
murdering the model
12
The statue was so realistic that some critics believed that
Rodin actually made the cast directly upon the model after
murdering him.

13
Written in 1940 by Mexican songwriter Consuelo
Velázquez, Besame Mucho literally means Kiss Me
a Lot . One of the most recorded Latin American
song, it has been publicly sung impromptu pretty
recently by whom?

13

14
Whose debut movie
role has been depicted
through this doll?

Johny Depp in
‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’
14

15
Resulted from an extra-marital affair, he is born
on a momentous occasion. He has been raised by a
Muslim family after being exchanged at birth by his
Christian nurse, Mary. Over the course of time, he
goes from riches to rags. He has telepathic and
other supernatural powers that are part of a
special connection with those born in this part of
the world at the same historic moment.
Who is he?

Saleem Sinai15

The alluringly dusky-voiced American soprano
Nicole Piccolomini is playing whom in this
opulent stage production?
16

Padmavati16

Lavasa is a private, planned city being built near
Pune. It is stylistically based on the Italian town
Portofino, with a street and several buildings
bearing the name of that town.
It s logo is styled upon whose artwork?
12

M.C. Esher12

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