So how did you fare in our annual test of South Asian arts knowledge…if you scored over 35 you have been reading www.asianculturevulture.com assiduously and we salute you! (Next year there will be a prize – you say that every year but there is nothing…haha…sorry). If you scored below 35 you must read acv more! Make it a New Year resolution! Thanks for your support and interest as always 🙏🏾
The answers to all the questions are in bold and have the link to the acv article…
by Suman Bhuchar
IT IS time for our annual end of year Quiz and something to amuse yourself in this holiday period.
This year has been an exceptional year in the Asian arts and cultural world for many reasons and it’s time to test your knowledge. No cheating please.
We present the www.asianculturevulture.com 2024 quiz and let’s see how much attention you were paying to arts and culture. If not, it’s time to begin brushing up for 2025 – read www.asianculturevulture.com more – and familiarise yourself with the report by the Department of Culture Media and Sport – it has concluded that arts is good for both wellbeing and wealth creation…
There are a total of 50 points which you can earn for all the right answers and if you’re a fan of the site – this should be a piece of cake.
If you get 35 points or more that’s not bad either and you’ve earned yourself a glass of fizz.
If you get between 20-35 you really should come and chat to us sometime…
Tip: all the stories have appeared on the site. We will publish the answers on Monday January (6) and do get in touch with your score on our X channel or comment on Instagram or our Business Facebook page.
Raja Hira Singh (1816) ©TCollection
Happy New Year!
Q1. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the subject of a major exhibition at the Wallace Collection London in July 2024. Who was the guest curator who was instrumental in getting this together?
a) Susan Stronge
b) Davinder Toor
c) Nada Raza
d) Hammad Nassar
e) Amandeep Madra
Q2. Which Punjabi female artist was the recipient of the Turner Prize 2024?
a) Dr Chila Kumari Singh Burman
b) Jasleen Kaur
c) Amrita Sher-Gill
d) Bhajan Hunjan
e) Naiza Khan
For an extra point name the exhibition and where it was originally held… Alter Altar, Glasgow Tramway (March 31-October 8 2023)
Q3. Which artistic director will be running the Young Vic, London from January 2025?
a) Nadia Fall
b) Rupert Goold
c) Aneesha Srinivasan
d) Gavin Joseph
e) Milli Bhatia
Q4. Name the Indian musicians who won five Grammy awards this year’s 66th award ceremony? (This is a very hard question because in order to win a point you must get 2 names)
a) Ricky Kej
b) AR Rahman
c) Zakir Hussain
d) Rakesh Chaurasia
e) Anouskha Shankar
f) Zoe Rahman
For additional bonus points to take you to the top of the culture vulture knowledge table can you name the group and the five Indian composers that won the Grammy for Best Global Music Album. (Note this question carries 5 points, no cheating please and there are no multiple choices here). For an extra two points name the group and their album. Shakti are the group for ‘This Moment’
Q5. Which author and broadcaster shared her compelling partition story at the Jaipur Literature Festival presented at British Library this year?
a) Anita Rani
b) Mishal Husain
c) Marina Wheeler
d) Kishwar Desai
e) Yasmin Khan
For an extra point what is the title of the book? Broken Threads – My Family from Empire to Independence
Q6. Which King of Bhangra performed his Golden Star Concert at the Royal Festival Hall as part of South Asian Sounds weekend?
a) Diljit Dosanjh
b) Channi Singh
c) Malkit Singh
d) Sidhu Moose Wala
e) Daler Mehndi
Q7. What does the title ‘Spectacular Diversions’ refer to?
a) A New AI app
b) The award winning film by Reema Kagti
c) The largest solo exhibition of work by a leading South Asian contemporary artist – Chila Kumari Singh Burman
d) A new brand of cocktail
e) A mindfulness retreat.
Q8. Who directed the stage spectacle ‘The Accountants’ which premiered at the Aviva Studios Manchester?
a) Indhu Rubasingham
b) Iqbal Khan
c) Janet Steel
d) Keith Khan
e) Jo Tyabji
Q9. Which Indian cinematographer received the Pierre Angénieux Tribute at Cannes this year?
a) Govind Nihalani
b) Priya Seth
c) Santosh Sivan
d) Deepti Gupta
e) Rajiv Menon
For an extra point which Bollywood female actor was also at the dinner held in the cinematographer’s honour (Clue – she is related to Bollywood stars Tanuja and Kajol). We could make it difficult and ask which other emerging camera operator received the ‘Special Encouragement’ award (Answer: Kadri Koop of Estonia – but no points here as we’ve given the answer…) Preity Zinta
Q10. Who appears as ‘D.I. Ray’ in the ITV detective drama with this name?
a) Anjana Vasan
b) Parminder Nagra
c) Anjli Mohindra
d) Sarah Kameela Impey
e) Priya Kansara
Can you name the writer? (One point) For an extra point do you know her character’s first name and which actor plays her mum? (All one point only). Maya Sondhi; Rachita; Shobhu Kapoor plays mum Deboo
Q11. Writers Bisha K Ali and Charlie Brooker scooped one of the biggest awards of the night at the Bafta Craft TV Awards in April. Can you name the category and title of the series?
a) Scripted casting – Three Little Birds
b) Writer Drama – Black Mirror
c) Sound Fiction – Slow Horses
d) Original Music Factual: Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland
e) Special Award – Mama Youth Project.
And for an extra point – name the streamer the show was aired on. Netflix
Q12. Which play dealing with dementia and inspired by ‘King Lear’ ran at the National Theatre?
a) Song of Spring
b) A Tupperware of Ashes
c) Dementia’s Journey
d) Infinite Life
e) Standing at the Sky’s Edge
For an extra point – name the actor who played the mum character (Queenie) for another extra point, name the director of play too…Meera Syal; Pooja Ghai
Q13. ‘All We Imagine as Light’ is the first Indian film to compete at Cannes 77th Film Festival since 1994. What Prize did it win?
a) Palme D’Or
b) Grand Prix
c) Jury Prize
d) Camera D’Or
e) Un Certain Regard
For an extra point can you name the film that competed in 1994. Swaham – Shaji N Karun
Q14. Related to the question above, who directed the film, ‘All We Imagine as Light’ that is currently contending and has already won several awards.
a) Kiran Rao
b) Payal Kapadia
c) Sandhya Suri
d) Gurinder Chadha
e) Chloe Abrahams
For an extra point can you name her earlier film which won the L’Œil d’or (or The Golden Eye award) at Cannes in 2021. A Night of Knowing Nothing
Q15. The dancer, choreographer and director, Akram Khan returned to the stage this year with a new stage show: ‘Gigenis: The generation of the Earth’. Which Indian epic is this inspired by?
a) The Bhagavad Gita
b) Rig Veda
c) The Kumarasambava
d) The Mahabharata
e) The Silapadikaram
For an extra point name his artistic collaborator for this project. (Clue: he is also a dancer working in the Bharatanatyam tradition). Mavin Khoo
Q16. Director Reema Kagti talking to acv at London Film Festival (LFF) 2024 said: “The film is inspired by the man who’s featured in the documentary” – when she’s discussing the premiere of her film. Can you name the film?
a) Superboys of Malegaon
b) Dahaad
c) Sister Midnight
d) Santosh
e) Lapaataa Ladies
For two extra points can you name the documentary it was inspired by and its director? ‘Supermen of Malegaon’ 2008 documentary by Faiza Ahmad Khan
Q17. Which artist made a nationwide call out to the nation for people to share their hobby passions for an exhibition?
a) Imran Perretta
b) Hetain Patel
c) Rasheed Araeen
d) Anish Kapoor
e) Osman Yousefzada
For an extra point name the title of the exhibition – Come As You Really Are
Q18. 2024 was the 40th anniversary of which play that was on at the National Theatre in 1991?
a) The Lost Ring
b) Sakuntala
c) The Mahabharata
d) The Little Clay Cart
e) Red Oleanders
Q19. The Darbar Festival took place at the Barbican in October. Which British talent performed Dhrupad at the venue?
a) Jasdeep Sigh Degun
b) Gurdain Rayatt
c) Kirit Singh
d) Keertan Kaur
e) Priti Kaur
Q20. Who is the historian who wrote the fascinating book ‘Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan’ and gave a riveting talk at the British Library as part of Jaipur Literature Festival at the British Library in June 2024?
a) William Dalrymple
b) Ruby Lal
c) Sheela Banerjee
d) Sona Datta
e) Amitav Ghosh
Q21. Name the author whose book, ‘The Buddha of Suburbia’ was turned into a successful play by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
a) Salman Rushdie
b) Mohammed Hanif
c) Mohsin Hamid
d) Kamila Shamsie
e) Hanif Kureishi
For an extra point name the director who collaborated on the script and directed the stage version – Emma Rice
Q22. Who wrote and co-directed the film ‘Unicorns’ about “a British Indian drag queen who falls in love with a straight single dad”
a) Roshan Sethi
b) James Krishna Floyd
c) Mawaan Rizwan
d) Asifa Lahore
e) Fawzia Mirza
For an extra point name the co-director – Sally El Hosaini
Q23. Which organisation presented the evening of concert ‘Songs of Sringar and Seduction’ at the Royal Albert Hall?
a) Abi Sampa Orchestral Qawwali Project
b) Saudha, the Society of Poetry and Indian Music
c) Pratibha Singh Baghel with Sufiscore
d) Khiyo
e) The Afghan Youth Orchestra
Q24. Who was the lead actor who played Cleopatra in the BSL production at the Globe Theatre of Antony and Cleopatra?
a) Sahera Khan
b) Nadia Nadarajah
c) Alim Jayda
d) Manasa Kakaveti
e) Nadeem Islam
Q25. As this is the final question we will make it easy. Which iconic Indian film director passed away aged 90 and whose film crowdfunded by farmers was recently re-mastered and shown at both Cannes and the London Film Festival?
a) Satyajit Ray
b) Shyam Benegal
c) M. T Vasudevan Nair
d) Rituparno Ghosh
e) Satish Kaushik
For an extra 4 bonus points can you name the title of the film, the lead female actor, the year it was released and the Indian playwright who wrote the screenplay. Manthan; Shabana Azmi; 1976; Vijay Tendulkar
Thank you! We hope you’ve enjoyed doing this – don’t forget to follow www.asianculturevulture.com on all our channels (Youtube; X; Instagram: Facebook) if you want the full asianculturevulture experience… and wishing you all a very happy new year and a most memorable and fulfilling 2025…
