INDIAN AUTHORS AND BOOKS - 2 - ANSWERS

1. B. Mirza Hadi Ruswa

(A painting of Mirza Hadi Ruswa)

Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa‎ (1857 – 21 October 1931) was an Urdu poet and fiction writer, plays and treatises (mainly on religion, philosophy and astronomy). Ruswa,  well-versed in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, English, Latin, and Greek, served on the Nawab of Awadh's advisory board on language matters for many years.

His famed Urdu novel, "Umrao Jan Ada", published in 1905, is considered by many as the first Urdu novel. It is based on the life of a renowned Lucknow courtesan and poet of the same name. According to the novel, the story of Umrao Jaan was recounted by her to the author, when he happened to meet her during a "mushaira" (poetry gathering) in Lucknow. On listening to her couplets, the author along with Munshi Ahmad, a novel and poetry enthusiast present at the gathering, convinces Umrao Jaan to share her life story with them. The novel is written in first person as a memoir. The book was first published in Lucknow in 1899.

The novel is known for its elaborate portrayal of mid-19th century Lucknow, its decadent society and also describes the moral hypocrisy of the era, where Umrao Jaan also becomes the symbol of a nation that had long attracted many suitors who were only looking to exploit her.

Over the years the novel has inspired many films both in India and Pakistan. It was made into a Pakistani film in 1972, "Umrao Jaan Ada and 4 Indian films: most notably the 1981 film "Umrao Jaan" made by Muzaffar Ali starring Rekha in title role and "Umrao Jaan" (2006) by JP Dutta.

2. C. Jyotirao Phule

"Mahatma Jotirao Govindrao Phule" (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890) was a social activist, thinker, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra whose work extended to many fields, including eradication of untouchability and the caste system and women's emancipation. Phule, born in 1827 into a family that belonged to the Mali caste (considered to be "Shudra"), is mostly known for his efforts in educating women and lower caste people. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women education in India. Phule started his first school for girls in 1848 in Pune. On 24 September 1873, he, along with his followers, he formed the "Satyashodhak Samaj" (Society of Truthseekers) to attain equal rights for people from lower castes. People from all religions and castes could become a part of this association which worked for the upliftment of the oppressed classes. Through this the samaj he opposed idolatry and denounced the caste system. Satyashodhak Samaj campaigned for the spread of rational thinking and rejected the need for priests. Phule is regarded as an important figure in the social reform movement in Maharashtra.

"Gulamgiri" is a 1873 book by Jyotirao Phule, which has sharp protest against the caste system of India.

3. A. Ahmednagar

"The Discovery of India" was written by India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during his imprisonment in 1942–1946 at Ahmednagar fort in Maharashtra for participating in the Quit India Movement (1942 – 1946). The book started from ancient history, Nehru wrote at length of Vedas, Upanishads and textbooks on ancient time and ends during the British raj. The book is a broad view of Indian history, culture and philosophy. The book is considered as one of the finest writing on Indian History.

(The DVD Cover of "Bharat Ek Khoj")

(Roshan Seth played Nehru in "Bharat Ek Khoj")

The television series "Bharat Ek Khoj" directed by Shyam Benegal which was released on state-run Doordarshan channel in 1988 was based on this book. 

4. B. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay

"Byomkesh Bakshi" is an Indian-Bengali fictional detective created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. Referring to himself as a "truth-seeker" in the stories, Bakshi is known for his proficiency with observation, logical reasoning and forensic science which he uses to solve complicated cases, usually murders. The character has often been called the "Indian version of Sherlock Holmes". Initially appearing in the 1932 story "Satyanweshi", the character's popularity immensely increased in Bengal and other parts of India. Though it gained pan-India popularity almost 6 decades later with a TV series on Doordarshan directed by Basu Chatterjee with Rajit Kapur portraying "Byomkesh Bakshi" and K.K. Raina as "Ajit Kumar Banerji".

Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, known for his humor, wit and satire, also wrote historical fiction like "Kaler Mandira", "Gour Mollar", "Tumi Sandhyar Megh", "Tungabhadrar Teere" (all novels), "Chuya-Chandan", "Maru O Sangha" (later made into a Hindi film named "Trishangni") and stories of the supernatural with the recurring character "Baroda", the Ghost Investigator. His stories are always very short and generally have a twist ending.

Apart from the TV Series, "Byomkesh Bakshi" has been adopted as 20 odd Bengali Films and a Bollywood movie named "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!" starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Ashish Rana in lead roles. 

5. A. Devaki Nandan Khatri

"Chandrakanta" is a popular epic fantasy Hindi novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri (18 June 1861 – 1931), who belonged to the first generation of popular novelists in the modern Hindi language. Published in 1888, it was considered as the first modern Hindi novel. It gained a cult following and contributed to the popularity of the Hindi language. The story is a romantic fantasy about two lovers who belong to rival kingdoms: the princess "Chandrakanta of Vijaygarh", and the prince "Virendra Singh of Naugarh".

("Shikha Swaroop" played "Princess Chandrakanta" in the immensely popular TV Series on Doordarshan "Chandrakanta" during 1994-1996)

It inspired Nirja Guleri's mega-budget TV serial of the same name (though the screenplay had many differences from the novel) aired on Doordarshan from 1994-1996 which became one of the biggest-ever blockbusters in the history of Indian television.

The Novel was later adopted into another TV Series "Chandrakanta — Ek Mayavi Prem Gaatha" produced by Ekta Kapoor which premiered on Colors TV on 24 June 2017 and ended on 16 June 2018.

INDIAN AUTHORS AND BOOKS - 2

Q1. Who among the following has written the famed Urdu Novel "Umrao Jan Ada", considered by many as the first Urdu Novel, based on the life of a renowned Lucknow courtesan? 

A. Rahi Masoom Raza

B. Mirza Hadi Ruswa

C. Ali Sardar Jafri

Q2. Who has written the book "Gulamgiri" against the institution of caste in India?

A. Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

B. B.R. Ambedkar

C. Jyotirao Phule

Q3. At which place Jawaharlal Nehru was imprisoned when he wrote the book "The Discovery of India", which was dedicated to inmates of the Prison?

A. Ahmednagar

B. Yerwada

C. Naini

Q4. Which among the following Bengali authors is credited for creating the famous detective character " Byomkesh Bakshi"?

A. Sunil Gangopadhyay

B. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay

C. Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury

Q5. Who among the following wrote the popular epic fantasy Hindi novel "Chandrakanta"? 

A. Devaki Nandan Khatri

B. Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi

C. Surender Mohan Pathak

INDIAN AUTHORS AND BOOKS - 1 - ANSWERS

1. C. Ashapoorna Devi

(The Jnanpith Award consists of a citation plaque with a bronze replica of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom along with cash prize of ₹11 lakh)

Ashapoorna Devi (8 January 1909 – 13 July 1995) was a prominent Bengali novelist and poet who was honoured with a number of prizes and awards. In 1976, she was awarded Jnanpith Award (the first woman to receive the award) and the Padma Shri by the Government of India. For her contribution as a novelist and short story writer, the Sahitya Akademi conferred her with its highest honour, the "Sahitya Akademi Fellowship", in 1994.

[The trilogy "Pratham Pratishruti" (1964), "Subarnolata" (1967) and "Bakul Katha" (1974)]

Most of Ashapoorna Devi's writings marked a spirited protest both for men and women, against the inequality and injustice stemming from the gender-based discrimination and narrowness of outlook ingrained in traditional Hindu society. Ashapoorna Devi's stories lay threadbare the oppression women have to face and made a fervent appeal for a new social order, though not subscribing to the modern theoretical feminism of western mode. Her magnum opus, the trilogy "Pratham Pratishruti" (1964), "Subarnolata" (1967) and "Bakul Katha" (1974), symbolises an endless struggle for women to achieve equal rights.

2. B. Kalhana

("Kings of Kashmira" - The 1879 English translation of "Rajatarangini" by Jogesh Chandra Dutt)

The author of the "Rajatarangini" ("The River of Kings") Kalhana, a Kashmiri, chronicles the rulers of the Kashmir valley from earliest times, from the epic period of the Mahabharata to the reign of Sangrama Deva (c.1006 CE), before the Muslim era. The list of kings goes back to the 19th century BCE. Some of the kings and dynasties can be identified with inscriptions and the histories of the empires that periodically included the Kashmir valley, but for long periods the Rajatarangini is the only source. The work consists of 7826 verses, which are divided into eight books called "Tarangas" (waves). Kalhaṇa’s account of Kashmir begins with the legendary reign of Gonarda, who was contemporary to Yudhisthira of the Mahabharata, but the recorded history of Kashmir, as retold by Kalhana begins from the period of the Mauryas. Kalhaṇa’s account also states that the city of Srinagar was founded by the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka, and that Buddhism reached the Kashmir valley during this period. From there, Buddhism spread to several other adjoining regions including Central Asia, Tibet and China.

3. B. Kiran Desai

"Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard" a novel by Kiran Desai published in 1998 was the debut novel of the author. The book won the Betty Trask Award (awarded for first novels written by authors under the age of 35 in Commonwealth Nations) in 1998. The novel set in the Indian village of Shahkot (Punjab) and follows the exploits of a young man, Sampath Chawla, trying to avoid the responsibilities of adult life. Fed up with his life in Shahkot, Sampath goes to a guava orchard and settles himself in a guava tree, where he uses the gossip he learned while working at the post office to convince people he is clairvoyant and soon becomes a popular "holy man". Kiran Desai based this book on a real-life story in which a man, Kapila Pradhan, lived up a tree for 15 years.

Desai's second novel "The Inheritance of Loss" (2006) was widely praised and it won the 2006 Man Booker Prize.

4. A. Vijay Tendulkar

Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar (6 January 1928 – 19 May 2008) was a leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marathi. He is best known for his plays "Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe" ("Silence! The Court Is in Session") (1967), "Ghashiram Kotwal" (1972), and "Sakharam Binder" (1972). Many of Tendulkar's plays derived inspiration from real-life incidents or social upheavals, which provides clear light on harsh realities. Tendulkar had been a highly influential dramatist and theatre personality in Maharashtra for over five decades.

Tendulkar's "Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe" is regarded as a key milestone in the history of Indian Theatre and has been translated into 16 languages in India and abroad. The BBC showed its English version, filmed by Satyadev Dubey. Actor-director, Om Shivpuri, directed the Hindi translation of the play as "Khamosh! Adaalat Jaari Hai".

"Ghashiram Kotwal" based on the life of Nana Phadnavis (1741–1800), one of the prominent ministers in the court of the Peshwa of Pune and Ghashiram Kotwal, the police chief of the city, is another remarkable play by Tendulkar. Its theme is how men in power give rise to ideologies to serve their purposes, and later destroy them when they become useless. Legendary Marathi theatre and film director Jabbar Patel's production of the play in 1973 is considered a classic in Modern Indian Theatre.

(A poster of "Samna", the 1974 Marathi crime drama directed by Jabbar Patel - his debut film as Director, starring Mohan Agashe, Dr. Shreeram Lagoo, Smita Patil, nominated for the "Golden Bear Award" at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival)

Tendulkar also wrote screenplays for Bollywood movies "Nishant" (1974), "Aakrosh" (1980), and "Ardh Satya" (1984) which established him as an important "Chronicler of Violence". He also wrote screenplays for groundbreaking Marathi movies which include "Samna" ("Confrontation") (1975), "Simhaasan" ("Throne") (1979), and "Umbartha" ("The Threshold") (1981). 

5. C. Firaq Gorakhpuri

Raghupati Sahay (28 August 1896 – 3 March 1982), better known under his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri, was a writer, critic and one commentator, one of the most noted Urdu poets of India. Sahay, after completing his Master's degree in Urdu, Persian and English literature, was selected for the "Indian Civil Service" (British India) (I.C.S.), but he resigned to follow Mahatma Gandhi's "Non-cooperation Movement", for which he went to jail for 18 months. Later, he joined Allahabad University as a lecturer in English literature where he wrote most of his Urdu poetry, including his magnum opus "Gul-e-Naghma" which earned him the Jnanpith Award, and also the 1960 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu.

Gorakhpuri was well-versed in all traditional metrical forms such as "ghazal", "nazm" (Urdu poetry, that is normally written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose style poems), "rubaai" (a poem or a verse of a poem consisting of four lines) and wrote volumes of Urdu poetry and prose, several volumes on literary themes in Hindi as well as English prose on literary and cultural subjects.

Firaq Gorakhpuri was awarded "Padma Bhushan", the third highest Civilian Award of India in 1968.

INDIAN AUTHORS AND BOOKS - 1

Q1. Who is the first woman to win the Jnanpith Award for her novel "Pratham Pratishruti"? 

A. Mahasweta Devi

B. Mahadevi Verma

C. Ashapoorna Devi

Q2. "Rajatarangini" is a 12th century historical Sanskrit chronicle of the North-Western Indian Subcontinent particularly the Kings of Kashmir. Who is credited to have authored this Sanskrit chronicle?

A. Bhavabhuti

B. Kalhana

C. Vishakhadatta

Q3. Who among the following won the Betty Trask Award (awarded for first Novel written by authors under the age of 35) for the Novel "Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard"?

A. Jhumpa Lahiri

B. Kiran Desai

C. Aravind Adiga

Q4. Identify this Marathi playwright (from the pic below) known for his plays "Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe" and "Ghashiram Kotwal".

A. Vijay Tendulkar

B. Satyadev Dubey

C. Bhisham Sahni

Q5. "Raghupati Sahay", one of the most noted Urdu poets of India in 20th century, known for his magnum opus " Gul-e-Naghma", is better known by which pen name?

A. Kaifi Azmi

B. Ismat Chughtai

C. Firaq Gorakhpuri

OLYMPIC GAMES - 5 - ANSWERS

1. B. Carl Lewis

Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold in his career spanning from 1979 to 1996, when he last won an Olympic event. He is one of only three Olympic athletes who won a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games - Michael Phelps's 4 Gold Medals in "200 m individual medley swimming" from 2004-2016 and Al Oerter's 4 Gold Medals in "Discus Throw" from 1948-1960 (both from US) are the other two athletes to achieve the feat.

Lewis was a dominant sprinter and long jumper who topped the world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump events frequently from 1981 to the early 1990s. He set world records in the 100 m, 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m relays, while his world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984. His 65 consecutive victories in the long jump achieved over a span of 10 years is one of the sport's longest undefeated streaks.

His accomplishments have led to numerous accolades, including being voted "World Athlete of the Century" by the "International Association of Athletics Federations" (IAAF) and "Sportsman of the Century" by the "International Olympic Committee, "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated.

2. A. Zimbabwe

The 1980 Moscow Olympics were first to feature women's hockey and the first to include "Zimbabwe" under that name—barred from the last three Olympics for political reasons, the country had last competed as Rhodesia in 1964. The National Olympic Committee for Zimbabwe was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1980.

The 1980 Zimbabwe women's national field hockey team which won the gold medal were a squad of 16 women, all from Zimbabwe's white minority, assembled less than a month before the Olympics began to help fill the gaps the American-led Olympic boycott created in the women's hockey competition.

Zimbabwe's subsequent victory in the round-robin tournament with three wins and two draws was regarded as a huge upset, particularly considering the team's lack of preparation and experience; it has been called an "irresistible fairy story". Won at a time of great political transition in Zimbabwe, the gold medal was the country's first Olympic medal of any colour.

3. B. Romania

Nadia Elena Comaneci (born November 12, 1961), a Romanian gymnast thrilled the world at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, where, at the age of 14, she became the first woman to score a perfect 10 in an Olympic gymnastics event. She received seven perfect scores and won three gold medals—for the uneven bars, balance beam and individual all-around—and a bronze medal for her floor exercise. As part of the second-place Romanian national team, she won silver. Comaneci's performance at the 1976 Olympics redefined both her sport and audiences' expectations of female athletes.

At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia, Nadia Comaneci won two gold, for the balance beam and floor exercise and two silver medals, for the team competition and individual all-around.

The five-time Olympic Gold medalist Comaneci retired from competition in 1984. In 2000, she was named as one of the "Athletes of the 20th Century" by the Laureus World Sports Academy.

4. B. 1972, Munich

"One Day in September" is a 1999 documentary film directed by Kevin Macdonald examining the 5 September 1972 murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany known as "Munich Massacre". Michael Douglas provides the sparse narration throughout the film. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000.

(All the 12 persons killed in "Munich Massacre" including the German Police Officer in rescue efforts - in bottom right corner)

The "Munich massacre" was an attack during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics in which the Palestinian terrorist group "Black September" took eleven Israeli Olympic team members hostage and killed them along with a West German police officer. Shortly after the crisis began, a Black September spokesman demanded that 234 Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel and the West German-held founders of the "Red Army Faction", "Andreas Baader" and "Ulrike Meinhof", be released. The standoff in the Olympic Village lasted for almost 18 hours during which German Police officers killed five of the eight Black September members during a failed attempt to rescue the hostages. The other three Palestinian hijackers were also captured. The next month, however, following the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 615, the West German government released them in a hostage exchange.

5. C. The Olympic Motto

The Olympic motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius", which is Latin for "faster, higher, stronger". It was proposed by "Pierre de Coubertin" upon the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894. Coubertin borrowed it from his friend "Henri Didon", a Dominican priest who was an athletics enthusiast. The motto was introduced in 1924 at the Olympic Games in Paris.

These three words encourage athletes to give their best during competition. The motto can be compared to the Olympic creed which says:

“The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.”