Cultural Icons — Set 2
Famous People · सांस्कृतिक आइकन · Questions 11–20 of 80
Who is the 'Father of Indian Cinema', having directed the first Indian feature film 'Raja Harishchandra'?
Correct Answer: C. Dadasaheb Phalke
• **Dadasaheb Phalke** = Dadasaheb Phalke is known as the 'Father of Indian Cinema', having directed the first Indian feature film 'Raja Harishchandra'. • **1913** — He released India's first silent full-length feature film in **1913**. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Satyajit Ray]: An acclaimed filmmaker who came much later in Indian cinema history; [Prithviraj Kapoor]: A pioneer of Indian theatre and cinema, but not the 'Father of Indian Cinema'; [Ardeshir Irani]: Directed 'Alam Ara', India's first talking film, but not the first feature film.
Which Carnatic vocalist was the first musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna?
Correct Answer: D. M.S. Subbulakshmi
• **M.S. Subbulakshmi** = M.S. Subbulakshmi was the first Carnatic vocalist and musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna. • **1966** — She was the first Indian musician to perform at the United Nations General Assembly in **1966**. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Bhimsen Joshi]: A Hindustani classical vocalist, also a Bharat Ratna recipient, but later; [Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer]: A doyen of Carnatic music, but not the first Bharat Ratna recipient among musicians; [Balamuralikrishna]: A versatile Carnatic vocalist, composer, and instrumentalist.
Who among the following is a famous santoor player who gave the folk instrument a classical status?
Correct Answer: A. Shivkumar Sharma
• **Shivkumar Sharma** = Pandit Shivkumar Sharma is a famous **santoor** player who gave the folk instrument a classical status. • **100-stringed** — He adapted the **100-stringed** Kashmiri folk instrument for Hindustani classical music. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Hariprasad Chaurasia]: A legendary bansuri (flute) player; [Amjad Ali Khan]: A renowned sarod maestro; [Ali Akbar Khan]: A sarod maestro, son of Allauddin Khan.
Amrita Sher-Gil was a pioneer of modern Indian art, famous for her works in which field?
Correct Answer: C. Painting
• **Painting** = Amrita Sher-Gil was a pioneer of modern Indian art, famous for her works in **Painting**. • **early 20th century** — She is often called one of the most important avant-garde female artists of the **early 20th century**. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Literature]: Amrita Sher-Gil was primarily a painter, not a writer; [Photography]: While photography is a visual art, it was not her primary medium; [Sculpture]: She was known for her two-dimensional paintings, not three-dimensional sculpture.
The legendary figure Tansen was a prominent musician in the court of which Mughal Emperor?
Correct Answer: D. Akbar
• **Akbar** = Tansen was a prominent musician in the court of the Mughal Emperor **Akbar**, and is considered the father of Hindustani music. • **Navaratnas** — He was one of the '**Navaratnas**' (Nine Jewels) in Akbar's court. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Babur]: The founder of the Mughal dynasty, Tansen lived later; [Aurangzeb]: A later Mughal emperor, known for his austerity and less patronage of music; [Shah Jahan]: Known for architecture (Taj Mahal), but Tansen was active before his reign.
Which cultural icon is famously known as the 'Ghazal King' of the Indian subcontinent?
Correct Answer: A. Jagjit Singh
• **Jagjit Singh** = He is credited with reviving the ghazal and making it popular among the general public. • He was posthumously awarded the **Rajasthan Ratna** by his home state for his contributions. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Mehdi Hassan]: a legendary Pakistani ghazal singer, often called 'Shahenshah-e-Ghazal'; [Ghulam Ali]: a renowned Pakistani ghazal singer known for his unique style; [Pankaj Udhas]: a prominent Indian ghazal singer known for his soulful renditions.
Who is the renowned architect who designed the city of Chandigarh and the Capitol Complex?
Correct Answer: C. Le Corbusier
• **Le Corbusier** = He was a Swiss-French pioneer of modern architecture commissioned by the Indian government to design Chandigarh. • The **Capitol Complex** in Chandigarh is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Charles Correa]: a prominent Indian architect known for urban planning and modern Indian architecture; [B.V. Doshi]: an Indian architect, urban planner, and educator, known for his contributions to modern Indian architecture; [Edwin Lutyens]: a British architect famous for designing much of New Delhi, including Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Which Bharat Ratna awardee was a master of the Hindustani vocal tradition from the Kirana Gharana?
Correct Answer: D. Bhimsen Joshi
• **Pandit Bhimsen Joshi** = He was famous for his powerful voice and his mastery of difficult ragas from the Kirana Gharana. • He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in **2008** for his contribution to vocal music. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Kumar Gandharva]: a prominent Hindustani classical singer known for his unique style, but not primarily from Kirana Gharana; [Ustad Amir Khan]: a legendary Hindustani classical vocalist and founder of the Indore Gharana; [Pandit Jasraj]: a celebrated Hindustani classical vocalist from the Mewati Gharana.
Malala Yousafzai, a global cultural icon for education, shares her Nobel Peace Prize with which Indian activist?
Correct Answer: A. Kailash Satyarthi
• **Kailash Satyarthi** = He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work against child labor and for children's rights. • He won the Nobel Peace Prize in **2014**, sharing it with Malala Yousafzai. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Medha Patkar]: a prominent social activist known for the Narmada Bachao Andolan; [Anna Hazare]: an Indian social activist known for his contributions to rural development and anti-corruption movements; [Baba Amte]: a social worker known for his work with leprosy patients and other marginalized groups.
Who wrote the famous Hindi poem 'Madhushala', a milestone in 20th-century literature?
Correct Answer: C. Harivansh Rai Bachchan
• **Harivansh Rai Bachchan** = He used the metaphor of a tavern and wine in 'Madhushala' to discuss the complexities of life. • He was the first Indian to receive a PhD in English literature from **Cambridge** University. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Maithili Sharan Gupt]: a celebrated Hindi poet known for his patriotic poems; [Sumitranandan Pant]: a famous Hindi poet of the Chhayavaad school of Hindi literature; [Ramdhari Singh Dinkar]: a renowned Hindi poet, essayist, and academic, often considered one of the most important modern Hindi poets.