A list of puzzling questions
Editor’s note: Every week, we feature three questions from our quiz master Shantanu Sharma—who is a researcher-writer, and has a side hustle as a professional quiz guru. He’d love to hear from you—so send your feedback/suggestions or just say ‘hi’ over at sharmashantanu312@gmail.com or @shantorasbox on Twitter.
How this works: Every correct answer is worth 10 points. If a question has multiple parts, each is worth 5 points. You have until Friday 12 pm to send in your answers to talktous@splainer.in or via DMs on Insta or Twitter. The correct answers will be published every Monday. The grand prize for the winner at the end of the month: a quarterly subscription for anyone of your choice—including the option of adding three months to your sub. That’s Rs 499 in value—so it’s pretty darn good:)
Rule to note: We will pick winners each month using a lucky draw.
The answers: to the previous week’s quiz are at the bottom—as are the winners for the first week of April.
One: What kit change did one of these teams make in a recent clash to make the experience more inclusive—and for which group of viewers? (5+5)
Two: Connect the lateral hints to work out this global sensation.
a) Focus on the playing area
b) The pointed section on the phone
c) The developer’s headquarters, named after a Nordic word for ‘gadget’
Three: This clip shows a good samaritan performing his holy duty. What exactly does he do?
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: Whose unhurried artistic vision does this museum bring to life? Also, name the museum. (5+5)
Answer: Ghibli Museum and Hayao Miyazaki
Nestled in the greenery of Mitaka’s Inokashira Park, the Ghibli Museum is a whimsical tribute to Japan’s beloved animation studio. Designed by Hayao Miyazaki, the museum resembles a vine-covered European villa, where a giant Totoro greets visitors. True to Miyazaki’s vision, it’s a place of discovery, emotion, and wonder—never arrogant or pretentious. The last two weeks saw a surge in AI-generated Ghibli-style art flooding social media after OpenAI’s chatbot update, briefly overwhelming its servers.
Two: Connect the first two images and that should help you fill the blank spot for the third. (5+5)
a) Somewhere in a US state
b) Somewhere in Italy
c) What and where?
Answer: ‘The White Lotus’ and Thailand
Seasons 1 and 2 of ‘The White Lotus’ brought viewers to stunning Four Seasons locations—Maui’s adventure-filled Wailea and the dramatic seaside charm of Taormina, Italy. The recently finished Season 3 was shot at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand, a five-star retreat set on 40 acres of former coconut plantation. Following the mid-2024 announcement that Thailand would host the new season, travel interest soared—booking platforms saw spikes, airlines like Finnair added flights, and Hotels.com reported a 40% surge in demand for the resort.
Three: Which recent record-setter remained largely hidden from the world for seven decades in this medical institution?
Answer: MF Husain’s ‘Untitled (Gram Yatra)’ painting.
After seven decades out of sight, MF Husain’s ‘Untitled (Gram Yatra)’ has emerged as a defining masterpiece of Indian art. The 14-foot mural, depicting India’s rural life and modernist vision, was rediscovered at Oslo University Hospital, where it had remained since 1964 after being acquired by Dr Leon Elias Volodarsky, a Ukrainian-born, Norway-based surgeon. The hospital’s outreach to Christie’s set events in motion, prompting Nishad Avari, Head of South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, to respond without hesitation: “We’re getting on a plane.” On March 19, 2025, the painting made history at Christie’s New York, selling for $13.8 million, breaking the previous record for Indian art set by Amrita Sher-Gil’s ‘The Story Teller’ ($7.4 million in 2023).
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the first week of April. Congratulations!
