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 second week of March.
One: Which in-the-news personality connects these two financial institutions located either side of the Atlantic Ocean? Also, identify the institutions. (5+5)
Two: Connect these lateral hints to work out the entity that recently made its India debut.
a) Don’t stir the pot.
b) ‘90s kids, mark your attendance in One, Two, Three…
c) Got late, it seems!
Three: This powerful snapshot from a few years ago highlights this country’s enduring economic turmoil. Name the country—once synonymous with wealth—and the currency. (5+5)
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: Three generations posed together at Mrs. Mehta’s (extreme left) memoir launch. The book is a candid narrative of an Englishwoman’s life in a Gujarati household in Mumbai. Identify the granddaughter (face obscured), a biomedical scientist and registered nutritionist, often seen cheering from the stands.
Answer: Sara Tendulkar
‘My Passage to India’ is the memoir of Annabel Mehta, best known for her work with Apnalaya—an NGO supporting underprivileged children in Mumbai. The book traces Annabel’s journey from England to India in the 1950s when she followed her heart to Mumbai to be with Anand Mehta. As the founder of Apnalaya, she dedicated herself to improving lives against tremendous odds. She is better known as the mother of Anjali Tendulkar, the wife of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. You can watch the highlights of the book launch here and read more about Sara Tendulkar here.
Two: What annual honour connects these three women? Two of them are well known today—identify the third. (5+5)
Answer: Persis Khambatta and Oscar Presenters
In 1980, Bombay-born Persis Khambatta became the first Indian to present an Oscar, announcing the Best Feature-Length Documentary winner. Although she had small roles in ‘The Wilby Conspiracy’ and ‘Conduct Unbecoming’ (both 1975), she is best known for ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ (1979). She once shared that a $1.99 bald cap she wore during her audition with creator Gene Roddenberry helped her land the role of Lieutenant Ilia. In 2016, Priyanka Chopra joined Liev Schreiber to present the nominees for Best Film Editing. In 2023, Deepika Padukone introduced the ‘RRR’ song ‘Naatu Naatu’ at the Oscars. You can watch Persis presenting the award with William Shatner here.
Three: This Indian ruler was the only woman in her lineage to issue coins in her name. Name this light of the world.
Nur Jahan, the twentieth wife of Emperor Jahangir, was the only Mughal empress to issue coins in her name. This silver rupee, minted in Agra, symbolizes both her power and the fragile nature of her authority in a male-dominated empire. During Jahangir’s later years, Nur Jahan effectively controlled the Mughal administration, making key political and military decisions. Beyond politics, Nur Jahan left a lasting impact on Mughal art and architecture. The tomb she built for her father in 1628 inspired the Taj Mahal. Her image holding a gun, poetry praising her military strategy, and artistic commissions all stand as evidence of her remarkable reign—challenging the idea that only written memoirs define history.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the second week of March. Congratulations!
