Q: A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew Infinity is based on the biography of
(a)S. Ramanujan
(b)S. Chandrasekhar
(c)S. N. Bose
(d)C. V. Raman
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Theatre & Cinema — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
9 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on Theatre & Cinema (Art & Culture). Spanning from 1995 to 2016. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
9
Questions
8
Years
8
Easy
1
Moderate
Year-wise Distribution
What UPSC Asks About Theatre & Cinema
Theatre and cinema contribute nine Prelims questions (1995-2016), yet the terrain is expanding as cultural diplomacy gains weight. Traditional theatre forms—Yakshagana, Kutiyattam, Nautanki, Bhavai, Tamasha—are quizzed for their language, region, musical instruments and UNESCO intangible heritage status. Puppetry styles (Kathputli, Bommalattam, Tholu Bommalata) may also feature. Cinema questions revolve around firsts (first talkie, colour film), National Film Awards, film institutes (FTII, Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute) and personalities honoured by Dadasaheb Phalke Award. UPSC loves matching questions: art form vs state, playwright vs language, film institute vs city. Keeping pace with centenaries, Oscar wins, or GI tags like Ramlila masks of Varanasi could tip the scales in close-cut prelims.
Related Art & Culture Sub-topics
All Theatre & Cinema Questions
Q: Ebrahim Alkazi is an eminent personality in which one of the following areas?
(a)Heart surgery
(b)Civil aviation
(c)Theatre training
(d)Transport engineering
Q: In which one of the following films did the Nobel Laureate Pearl S. Buck collaborate?
(a)Shatranj Ke Khilari
(b)Guide
(c)Lawrence of Arabia
(d)Titanic
Q: Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?
(a)India’s first Technicolour film — Jhansi Ki Rani
(b)India’s first 3-D film — My Dear Kuttichat
(c)India’s first insured film — Taal
(d)India’s first actress to win the Bharat Ratna — Meena Kumari
Q: The first feature film (talkie) to be produced in India was
(a)Hatimtai
(b)Alam Ara
(c)Pundalik
(d)Raja Harishchandra
Q: Which one of the following statements is correct?
(a)‘Neel Darpan’ was a play based on the exploitation of the indigo farmers
(b)The author of the play ‘Ghashiram Kotwal’ is Vijay Tendulkar
(c)The play ‘Navanna’ by Nabin Chandra Das was based on the famine of Bengal
(d)Urdu theatre used to depend heavily on Parsi theatre
Q: The film ‘The Making of the Mahatma’ has been directed by
(a)Peter Ustinov
(b)Richard Attenborough
(c)Shyam Benegal
(d)Mira Nair
Q: The following advertisement appeared in the Times of India dated 7th August: "THE MARVEL OF THE CENTURY THE WONDER OF THE WORLD LIVING PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES IN LIFE-SIZED REPRODUCTIONS BY MESSERS LUMIERE BROTHERS CINEMATOGRAPHIE A FEW EXHIBITIONS WILL BE GIVEN AT WATSON'S HOTEL TONIGHT". It appeared in the year —
(a)1931
(b)1929
(c)1921
(d)1896
Q: The lead character in the film The Bandit Queen has been played by
(a)Pratibha Sinha
(b)Rupa Ganguly
(c)Seema Biswas
(d)Shabana Azmi
Frequently Asked Questions
Is contemporary Indian cinema relevant for Prelims?▼
Yes, but focus on milestones: international awards (Oscars, Cannes), government recognitions, and technological firsts. For instance, UPSC asked about ‘Lagaan’ and the Oscar shortlist soon after its nomination.
How to remember regional theatre forms efficiently?▼
Use mnemonic grids: North—Nautanki & Bhand Pather, West—Bhavai & Tamasha, South—Yakshagana, Kutiyattam, Therukoothu, East—Jatra. Add one unique cue (mask, dance, Sanskrit dialogue) per form for instant recall during MCQs.