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Brainstorming at its best
RAJ TV has something interesting and enjoyable to offer by way of the Britannia Quiz Buzz for school kids at 6.05 p.m. from Monday to Friday. The hostess is the silver screen heroine, Kasthuri. The choice could not have been better since I have heard that Shanmathi, as she was known prior to her screen name, was extremely good at inter-school and inter-collegiate cultural events, and quizzing in particular. A more recent sample was of her confidently answering the rapid volley of questions fired at her in the `Mind Bend' programme. Having been a quizzer and experiencing fear, tension, excitement and trepidation, she is now at the other end as the quiz master. Hence, she is an apt choice and the producers deserve to be applauded for this. She is warm, smart, pleasant and at home as she conducts the show.
The setting is done well and there are four school teams each comprising two members. There are six rounds of questioning with an audio round (sound byte) and video round (view-point) to introduce the much-needed variety.
There was a famed Amul jingle that ran thus — "I am too old for toys too young for the discotheque but I think I am just right for Amul chocolate." In a similar fashion I can write that the questions are neither too tough nor too simple as to be obvious; they are just right for school children! As usual there is a rapid fire round with negative marking. The questions are fixed in the reverse direction after the break treating all teams equally and that is fair enough.
`Where would you expect to find Albert Mission School? In R.K. Narayan's novels. Who is the reputed Babylonian king who gave us a code of law named after him? Hammurabi. Which is the large black and white animal associated with the World Wildlife Fund? The panda. In which book is the Nursery Rhyme Humpty Dumpty found? `Through the Looking Glass'. These are a sample of the varied and interesting questions asked.
The hostess was very generous in appreciating the participants when they answered a tough question. She complimented them on their high standard of quizzing. The schools were Nirmala MHSS, Coimbatore and Agarwal Vidyalaya, St. John's International School and Sindhi Model - all from Chennai.
Quizzing is an interesting way of amassing knowledge. It would do well to remember, "Knowledge is Power." You would have heard it well said that
"Strange how much you've got to know
Before you know how little you know."
The timing is convenient for school children. They can sit after their tea and have a short respite viewing this quiz or even continue writing their home assignments as they watch. It is healthy viewing indeed. One suggestion is that the producers show the questions and answers on the screen for the benefit of the viewers. Sometimes when the camera is not focussed on the hostess or even otherwise the words or a part of the question is lost.
It was hilarious, amusing or call it what you will when the participants in their over-enthusiasm pressed the buzzer even before the question was completed. It was left to them then to guess or frame the question. In short, this is a good opportunity for Chennai school children and I hope you avail of it, for as Chamfort said: "Do not suppose opportunity will knock twice at your door."
THARA MOHAN RAO
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