Bollywood classics quiz (1950s–1970s)
How well do you know the films that shaped Hindi cinema?
10 multiple-choice questions, with the answer explained after each one.
Answer each question, see why, and beat your best score.
All 10 questions and answers
Want to check an answer or run the quiz out loud? Every question is here, with the answer hidden until you open it.
- Who directed Mother India (1957)?
- Bimal Roy
- Raj Kapoor
- Guru Dutt
- Mehboob Khan
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Mehboob Khan. Mehboob Khan directed it, and it became India's first nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
- Which actress played Anarkali in Mughal-e-Azam (1960)?
- Meena Kumari
- Madhubala
- Waheeda Rehman
- Nargis
Show answer
Madhubala. Madhubala starred as Anarkali opposite Dilip Kumar in K. Asif's epic.
- Who directed Mughal-e-Azam?
- K. Asif
- Mehboob Khan
- V. Shantaram
- Kamal Amrohi
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K. Asif. K. Asif spent more than a decade making the film.
- Who played the villain Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975)?
- Amrish Puri
- Amjad Khan
- Prem Chopra
- Pran
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Amjad Khan. Amjad Khan's Gabbar Singh is one of Hindi cinema's best-known villains.
- Which two actors played Jai and Veeru in Sholay?
- Vinod Khanna and Jeetendra
- Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar
- Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra
- Rajesh Khanna and Shashi Kapoor
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Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. Amitabh Bachchan was Jai and Dharmendra was Veeru, directed by Ramesh Sippy.
- Pyaasa (1957), about a struggling poet, was directed by and starred whom?
- Dev Anand
- Raj Kapoor
- Guru Dutt
- Sunil Dutt
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Guru Dutt. Guru Dutt directed and played the poet Vijay.
- Guide (1965), starring Dev Anand, was based on a novel by which author?
- Mulk Raj Anand
- R.K. Narayan
- Rabindranath Tagore
- Premchand
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R.K. Narayan. It adapts R.K. Narayan's novel The Guide.
- Which 1973 film made Amitabh Bachchan the 'angry young man'?
- Zanjeer
- Deewaar
- Namak Haraam
- Anand
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Zanjeer. Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer was his breakthrough, followed by Deewaar (1975).
- Who directed Anand (1971), starring Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan?
- Hrishikesh Mukherjee
- Basu Chatterjee
- Yash Chopra
- Shakti Samanta
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Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed this much-loved drama.
- Which actress starred in Pakeezah (1972)?
- Nutan
- Hema Malini
- Meena Kumari
- Madhubala
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Meena Kumari. Meena Kumari starred in Kamal Amrohi's Pakeezah, released shortly before her death.