Hindi Film Quiz: The Forgotten Years

Did you know that in 1932, J. J. Madan made a film based on a play written for the Lucknow court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah? The play staged in 1853 is considered to be the first finished Urdu stage play. Did you know that the famous Urdu short story writer Saadat Hasan Manto played an Air Force officer in a film? Did you know that the British philosopher Lord Bertrand Russell played a cameo role in a Hindi film? Did you know that the Hungarian wrestler-actor Emile Czaja acted in several films under the name King Kong? Did you know that a Hindi film was dedicated to the West Indian cricketing legend Sir Frank Worrell, who also played a cameo role in it? This book offers several interesting nuggets like the above, presented in the form of quiz questions. It will be of interest to the general reader who wants to know about the great stars of early Hindi films as well as film aficionados who want to know the minutae. It can be used as a quick reference by quizzers as well as for preparation of competitive exams. Bhupinder Singh takes us through an exciting journey of Hindi films starting from the theatrical Alam Ara to the tragic tale of Pakeezah, from the singing star K. L. Saigal to the romantic Rajesh Khanna, from the First Lady of the Indian screen Devika Rani to the dancing diva Helen, from the Father of Indian Cinema Dadasaheb Phalke to the meticulous Hrishikesh Mukherjee. They are all here. And more.