The Hunger Games: Everything you wanted to know

New Delhi: Directed by Gary Ross, ‘The Hunger Games’ will hit Indian screens on March 23. The movie has gotten rave reviews overseas and a handful of the Indian audience who are aware of the trilogy and the upcoming film – cannot wait it to hit screens.

Don’t know about the movie or the trilogy? Here’s a crash course before the Friday that will see the release of the much awaited film hits the screens.

- ‘The Hunger Games’ is based on the novel by Suzanne Collins – the first of the trilogy which has the same name – has been made in to the movie. The other two parts of the trilogy are – ‘Catching Fire’ and ‘Mockingjay’.

- The novel is written in first person narrative by the protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who lives in a post-apocalyptic world called Panem. The movie revolves around Katniss and her fight for survival in the hunger games.

- Panem stands where North America used to be according to the novel and movie. The new nation is spread around a rich ‘Capitol’ and 12 surrounding districts each names numerically as District 11, District 12 etc. The story begins in District 12 where Katniss lives and that district is supposed to be located in the coal-rich regions of former Appalachia (according to the novel).

- Katniss takes care of her mother and sister from the time her dad is killed in a mining accident. Besides the food and oil she gets out of putting her name in the reaping she also hunts illegally in the out skirts of their district with her friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth), whose father died in the same mining accident.

- Because of a failed rebellion by District 13, every year a ‘reaping’ chooses one boy and one girl from every district to participate in the ‘Hunger Games’.

- The Hunger Games are an annual competition where the chosen participants must battle against each other till only one is left standing. The winner receives honour, gifts, food and supplies from the sponsors. The chosen participants are called 'tributes'.

- All the children putting in their name for the ‘reaping’ get extra food and oil in return of the annual risk they take. And the names can be put in only after a child turns 12. Katniss’s name is put in the reaping from the time she turns 12 but she has not been picked for 4 years now.

- Katniss’s sister Primrose’s (Willow Shields) name gets put in when she turns 12 and her name is unexpectedly picked in the reaping. Refusing to let her sister participate – Katniss replaces her in the battle for survival.

- Besides having to fight other ‘Career Tributes’ – kids who have been training illegally for the games their entire lives – Katniss must fight the other kids chosen from all the other districts. Her male counterpart from District 12 is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), who she must also defeat.

- Before the Hunger Games begin, a stylist, Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), and a preparation team help Katniss train to make a good impression. The only other person whose help counts is Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) the only living victor from District 12 and mentor to both Katniss and Peeta.

- Katniss now must use her skills and wit to survive in the games. The movie is about the friends and enemies Katniss makes during her time in the Capitol as she struggles to survive.

- ‘Catching Fire’ the second part of the trilogy is expected to hit screens in November 2013.

####