Movie Quiz

Notes:
The correct answer is [A] S. Ramanujan. The 2015 film The Man Who Knew Infinity is a biographical drama based on the 1991 book of the same name by Robert Kanigel.

• Srinivasa Ramanujan (Statement A – Correct): The movie stars Dev Patel as Ramanujan and Jeremy Irons as his mentor, G.H. Hardy. It depicts Ramanujan’s journey from a clerk in Madras (now Chennai) to the University of Cambridge, where he became a pioneer in mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions.
• The Trinity Connection: Much of the film focuses on his time at Trinity College, Cambridge, during World War I and his struggle to provide formal proofs for his intuitive mathematical “visions,” which he famously attributed to his family goddess, Namagiri Thayar.
• S. Chandrasekhar (Statement B – Incorrect): Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was a Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist (and Ramanujan’s nephew) known for the Chandrasekhar Limit, which determines the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star.
• S. N. Bose (Statement C – Incorrect): Satyendra Nath Bose was a physicist specialized in quantum mechanics. He is best known for his collaboration with Albert Einstein on Bose-Einstein statistics and the “Boson” particle named in his honor.
• C. V. Raman (Statement D – Incorrect): Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for the discovery of the Raman Effect, which deals with the scattering of light.

The Hardy-Ramanujan Number: A famous anecdote captured in both the book and the movie involves the number 1729. When Hardy visited Ramanujan in the hospital, he remarked that his taxi number was “rather a dull one.” Ramanujan immediately replied that it was actually a very interesting number: it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways:1729 = 1³ + 12³ = 9³ + 10³

Notes:
Chandmari, a locality in Guwahati, Assam, is known for the historic Anuradha Theatre. It is one of the oldest movie theatres in the city and a cultural landmark in the area. Guwahati is the largest city in Assam, and Chandmari is noted for educational institutions and cultural events.

Notes:
Anant Mane directed “Manini” (1961), a Marathi family drama. It won Best Marathi Feature Film at the 9th National Film Awards. The film starred Jayshree Gadkar and Chandrakant Gokhale. “Manini” was later remade in Gujarati as “Maa Dikri.” Music was by Vasant Pawar.

Notes:
Ranbir Kapoor made his film debut in Saawariya (2007), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, which also introduced Sonam Kapoor. Ranbir won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for this movie. Saawariya was notable for being co-produced by Sony Pictures, the first Hollywood-backed Bollywood film.

Notes:
“Shool” (1999) was filmed in Motihari, Bihar, along with Bettiah, Bhopal, and Hyderabad. The film depicted crime and politics in Bihar, with its notable climax shot in legislative assemblies. Motihari is historically significant as the birthplace of George Orwell and related to Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha.

Notes:
Sohrab Modi (1897-1984), Parsi theatre actor and filmmaker, founded Minerva Movietone (1936). Known for historical films like Sikandar (1941), Pukar (1939), and Jhansi Ki Rani, he won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1980 for contributions to Indian cinema.

Notes:
The highest-grossing Gujarati movie of its time marked a significant milestone in regional cinema, showcasing the growing popularity and commercial success of Gujarati films.

Notes:
The 1983 Gujarati film Mahiyarin Chundadi inspired the Hindi film Sajjan Ka Ghar.

Notes:
“Champaran Mutton” is a film directed by Ranjan Kumar of the Film and Television Institute of India. The movie narrates a story about relationships and perseverance and has been recognized internationally. The film has paved the way for Bihar’s growing presence in the global cinema scene.

Notes:
‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ was adjudged Best Feature Film at the 69th National Film Awards. Best Actor award went to Allu Arjun while Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon share Best Actress award.
‘RRR’ won six awards including Best Music Direction, Best Special Effects, Best Choreography, Best Action Direction/Stunt Choreography, Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and Best Male Playback Singer.