Thinking out of the box

The quiz was on his hometown of Kozhikode. Snehaj Sreenivas, in his first year of post graduation in biochemistry, was startled at his own ignorance of the basics about the place he was born and raised in. Enamoured by the way quiz master KP Sunil had made the whole Q&A exercise a fun-filled infotainment, Snehaj found himself seated among the audience to witness the finals at another venue some days later.“This continued until Sunil started noticing me. Soon, we struck a good friendship with each other and I began to take quizzing seriously, quiet late for anybody to take a fancy to tickling your gray cells, right?” chuckles Snehaj, whose Dreamz Infotainments Society is a pioneering registered institution in the State founded to popularise and conduct quiz competitions.His late-blooming passion flowered under the guidance of seasoned quiz masters K P Sunil, an officer in SBT Ernakulam branch, and Dr Sulaiman, lecturer in Calicut Medical College. His ambition to take it forward found a patron in Singapore-based Malayali and a quizzer himself, Sabari Gireesh. Snehaj, now a lecturer in biochemistry in Annoor Dental College, Muvattupuzha, finds time to double up as a quiz master and chief-coordinator of Dreamz.Recently in the city to hold discussions with the State Water Resources Department regarding an awareness-building quiz on water conservation, Snehaj explained that smart quizzing is the buzzword that rules the game in the IT age.Registered as a company in Singapore and under the Societies Act in Kerala, Dreamz has come a long way since its inception in 2000. It has a seven-member strong core team and an ever-growing research team comprising school students and professionals smitten by the art of quizzing.Dreamz is also the co-ordinating agency of World Quizzing Championship (WQC), conducted world-wide every year by the International Quizzing Association, an Ireland-based apex-body that promotes the mind game.“Kerala has still not tapped into the possibility of developing a quizzing culture among the people. It can easily done in a largely literate state like ours,” says Snehaj. “A contestant from Kerala is yet to figure among those who reach the last rounds of WQC in India. Inhibition and fear of losing out stop our children from entering quiz competitions. But, we are happy that some of those who have associated with Dreamz have been able to make a mark in the regional level.”Snehaj points out that the neighbouring state of Karnataka has systematically cultivated the habit of quizzing among its citizens.“The Karnataka Quizzing Association is a very strong presence in the cultural scene of the state and has members of all ages. In fact, most of the Indian contestants who have secured top ranks in WQC hail from either Karnataka or West Bengal, the two states which can be called the quizzing capitals of India.”The concept of quizzing, as a mere mugging up of general knowledge facts, has undergone a sea change. Dreamz seeks to imbibe the new age outlook of developing the habit of quizzing as a tool to enhance analytical and imaginative skills.“One is encouraged to think out of the box rather than scan their memory in the quest to find answers. The feedback we receive tells us that the quizzing habit contributes to enhanced academic performance among students,” says Snehaj.Dreamz  has expanded its reach to Singapore, Dubai, Oman and Italy, where co-ordinators organise events under its banner. The firm conducts customised quizzes for all kinds of target audience including government departments, civil service aspirants, corporates, schools and colleges and women-only groups.“It also needs to be mentioned that for a long time now, the women presence in the quizzing arena in Kerala is rather poor. We have had women quizzers of merit who have won prestigious competitions. Sadly, there is hardly a passionate quizzer or consistent winner to represent the fair sex these days,” he says.Snehaj underscores that quizzing events need to be a part of the infotainment options available to people.“Corporate investment can contribute immensely in developing the quizzing culture. The MNCs in our State are yet to realise the entertainment aspect of quizzing events. In its new-age avatar, quiz competitions have turned into crowd-pullers.”The finals of the mega quiz event conducted by Dreamz on behalf of the Water Resources Department will be aired on Victers Channel on October 25. Principal Secretary Niveditha P Haran, who regularly contributes to the research wing of Dreamz, will appear as the celebrity quiz master, while Snehaj will host the show.