Quiz & connect: Delhi's weeknight obsession

It may be Sunday today, but for many Delhiites, the week's highlight comes later. Weekday quiz nights in Delhi are emerging as a popular evening hangout. Once a niche activity, they now draw packed rooms across the city.

Whether in groups or as lone participants, quiz and trivia nights offer everyone a chance to engage with pop culture and general knowledge. Quiz communities in Delhi regularly host sold-out weekday events, giving quizzers of all ages a creative way to unwind.

Community-building through quizzingKevin Sam, host with quiz community Ace of Pubs, says, "For some, this is their highlight of the week, after their 9-to-5."

For Arvind Nair, quizmaster and founder of Quriosity, it’s a special space to form meaningful connections. "My guarantee with every quiz has always been that, one will walk away knowing a little more than they walked in with."

"We admire the immense collective knowledge that people carry, and we aim to tap into that and catalyse a community built on inquisitiveness, a sense of wonder, and scientific temper," says Mudita Chauhan-Mubayi, founder of a knowledge solutions and quizzing company which has been hosting regular quiz nights for years.

'The need to stay sharp'Sumantra Sarathi Datta, convenor at Delhi Quiz Club, says, "Our sessions and quizzes are driven by college students. But we also have veterans." A majority of quizzers are between the age group of 25-45, with the seasoned quizzers having decades of experience. "The need to stay sharp and abreast with times which have gladly not gone out of vogue is also increasing the popularity," he adds. "Delhi has always been an intellectopolis.

People travel, read, experience the world and absorb zettabytes of information. Events like our quizzes tap into this collective wisdom. It is this sense of individual as well as collective curiosity that is fuelling the growth of quizzing," Mudita adds.

An intense, competitive activityWhether it’s hard-core quizzers or newbies who happened to be there, quiz nights can be a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

Arvind talks about the rising popularity and says, "There's a growing shift, primarily within the officegoing population. With more than half their day spent online, they are now looking for more offline experiences."Ria Chopra, a regular quizzer, says, "It's very funny to watch older quizzers struggle to answer a question about the latest meme, and it's also equally fun to watch a young group be awed by the depth of niche knowledge a seasoned quizzer has."

Bollywood quizzes remain the most popular across groups with pop culture, TV shows and movies at a close second. "Bollywood bahut chal jata hai and that works well even for people who are not regulars. But the best quiz that I’ve hosted so far is a Harry Potter quiz," Kevin says.Popular quiz topics