Q & A

In Vikas Swarup’s Q & A, protagonist Ram is no trivia expert, but through an extraordinary series of coincidences, he knows every answer that host Prem Kumar asks him on the quiz show Who Wants To Win A Billion? Ram himself doesn’t know why he knows all the answers, and so the characters around him try to figure out whether he is simply the luckiest person in the world or whether there is…

Much of the drama in Q & A comes from the way that people underestimate Ram due to him coming from an impoverished background. While Ram proves himself to be smart and capable in many cases, he nevertheless faces many obstacles in his life due to his lack of money and the massive wealth inequality that leaves people in poverty at a disadvantage. For instance, Ram’s poverty forces him to take a serious of menial…

Q & A portrays both the religious diversity and violence of modern India. Ram’s full name, for instance, Ram Mohammed Thomas, draws names from three different religious traditions, suggesting that Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity can peacefully coexist in the country. Ram himself seems to get along with pretty much everyone regardless of their religion, from the Muslim Salim or Christian Father Timothy, although the relationships certainly come with challenges and tensions. Still, much…