Quiz Foundation of India hosts a women-themed general knowledge quiz in Chennai

Avinash Mudaliar, Dr Navin and Saranya Jayakumar at the 2012 edition of QFIesta quiz
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

There exists in Chennai a club that meets in the precincts of an old school in Mylapore twice a month. It solely exists to have its members, all of whom are gladiators of general knowledge, quiz each other and coax lazy quizzers out of their Sunday slumber.

The Quiz Foundation of India (QFI), a non-profit, was founded in 1987 by well-known quizmaster Dr Navin Jayakumar, an ophthalmologist, and avid quizzers such as his mother Saranya Jayakumar, Gopal Kidao, and others. Saranya, as the seniormost member, is its founding president. Since then, QFI has garnered online members in the thousands; 40 members show up every fortnight at PS Secondary School.

Dr. Navin Jayakumar, ophthalmologist and quiz master, Landmark Quiz, now known as the Zifo Open Quiz
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RAVINDRAN R

Says Dr Navin, the well-known host of the August 15 Landmark, now Zifo Open Quiz: “For the first time, QFI has decided to host the Purple Riband Challenge Quiz, a women-themed general knowledge quiz for all. The quiz open to two-member teams (both women or mixed) will be hosted by three eminent quizzers who began their quizzing journey in Madras — Saranya Jayakumar, Jayashree Mohanka and Nirupama Venkatasubramanian.” 

Saranya Jayakumar is the founding president of Quiz Foundation of India
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Saranya completed her Master’s in English Literature from Presidency College, Madras, and has been quizzing since her graduation days at Queen Mary’s. When marriage and family took her to Calcutta, the mecca of quizzing, she founded Motley Crew, the famous quiz team of the 1980s. “It was my nephew who came to stay with us who spurred me to participate at a quiz hosted by the Dalhousie Institute.” There has been no looking back since. Saranya went on to team with some of her husband’s colleagues from Guest Keen Williams such as Partha Basu, the first Mastermind India Dayita Dutta, and Kabir Sen. Later, when the family returned to Chennai, she teamed up with her sons and won the local rounds of the North Star Quiz, considered one of the holy grails of quizzing, and even the nationals. It led to the Jayakumars being recognised as a well-known quizzing family. This, at a time when knowledge was garnered by extensive reading.

And in the case of Saranya, squirrelling away that information in notebooks. “I have heaps of them,” she says of the books sectioned into mythology, history, geography and current affairs that she flipped through before quizzes.” Saranya was among the few women who participated in Mastermind India, choosing Rudyard Kipling and the Roaring 1920s as her subjects. Readers of a certain vintage would have read her quizzes for Eve’s Touch and a book she contributed for. But, come Sunday, it will be questions from those dog-eared notebooks.

Jayashree Mohanka has been winner of the Mahaquizzer solo quiz
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Joining her on stage will be Jayashree Mohanka, an old girl of KV-IIT, Women’s Christian College and Indian Institute of Management – Calcutta. Jayashree is on her way to the airport when she tells me over phone that her interest in quizzing began when the family gathered around to discuss current affairs in the evenings while growing up in Thiruvananthapuram. “It is easier to come by knowledge now. Back then, we read a lot; when you read, you tend to recall better. The charm is in working out the answer and I hope more women find the quiz interesting,” says Jayashree, a member of the quiz team, Hammer and Tongs. She is also a winner of the Mahaquizzer solo quiz, National Brand Equity quiz, and a semi-finalist on Mastermind India.

Nirupama Venkatasubramanian quizzed through school and college
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Nirupama Venkatasubramanian is a copy and content writer who has been quizzing on and off since her schooling at Rosary Matriculation and college at Ethiraj and BIM, Tiruchi. “We friends were very keen on quizzing. I did take a break for 15 years in between working and raising my family,” says Nirupama, adding that of all the subjects over the years she would definitely win if asked about the Harry Potter series. She has also conducted quizzes for schools. “There are many pub quizzes now and it’s great to get back. It’s like muscle memory. And, this quiz is going to be fun and accessible for all,” she says.

The Purple Riband Challenge Quiz is on March 16, 3pm at The Folly, Amethyst, Royapettah. Prior registration is mandatory for both participants and the audience. For details, look up quizfoundation.com