Factual
VH1 announces online pop culture exam
MUMBAI: On 29 March, pop culture fans throughout the US will have a chance to test their talents online and qualify for VH1 and Entertainment Weekly’s upcoming televised
competition The World Series of Pop Culture.
The PCIQ exam is a standardized test designed to measure pop culture knowledge in the areas of television, movies, music, and pop culture news. Three of the top scorers from the online exam will join forces and become the 16th and final ‘wildcard’ team in the tournament. The ‘wildcard’ team will join the 15 other teams cast during in-person regional qualifiers.
The exam will consist of six sections including pop culture analogies, quote identification, lyric identification, and actor/actress body of work identification. Each section will contain ten questions. Contestants will be given six minutes to complete each section.
For instance one question could be to identify this quote from a film. “You know how they say we only use 10 per cent of our brains? I think we only use 10 per cent of our hearts.”
The choices are Wedding Crashers, Hitch, 50 First Dates and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
MUMBAI: India’s most famous hot seat is about to welcome an unlikely first-timer. For the first time on Hindi general entertainment television, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla will appear on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the iconic quiz show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
The special episode marks a rare meeting point of boardroom heft and prime-time television, bringing one of India’s most influential business leaders face to face with the country’s most enduring screen legend. It is a crossover that blends intellect, leadership and popular culture, all under KBC’s familiar spotlight.
Birla’s appearance dovetails neatly with the show’s current theme, Jahaan Akal Hai, Wahan Akad Hai, which celebrates the confidence that comes from clarity of thought and knowledge. His presence lends weight to the idea that sharp thinking and conviction are as vital in life as they are in the quiz chair.
In a thoughtful conversation with Bachchan, Birla shared an upbeat view of India’s economic journey, pointing to the nation’s rapid growth and the scale of opportunity opening up across industries and communities. He spoke of momentum, ambition and a future shaped by enterprise and ideas.
The episode is not all serious talk. In lighter moments, Birla confessed his long-standing admiration for Bachchan, calling him his favourite actor and admitting to a touch of nervousness at answering questions in front of the Shahenshah himself. The candour adds a human touch to a man more often seen in headlines than on television sets.
The special episode airs on Monday, 29 December at 9.00 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.
