POET AND PANCAKES
- ASOKAMITRAN
Main points of the chapter :-
Long answer type Questions :-
Q.3. How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?
Ans. The audience at Genimi studios was comprising the simplest sort of Tamil speaking people. They Were never afforded an opportunity and possibility of cultivating a taste for English poetry.
An English poet, Stephen Spender, visited the Gemini studios and addressed the audience about the thrills and travails of an English poet. He couldn't have addressed a more dazed and silent audience. No listener in the audience knew what the speaker was talking about. If they tried to understanding what he was saying. his accent was a bar between the speaker and the listeners. He was speaking with his native accent.
When the speech was over, the poet left the studios. the audience was utterly baffled. They were at a loss to understand what they were doing there. The poet looked pretty baffled too, for he too must have felt the sheer incongruity of his talk about the thrills and travails of an English poet . His visit remained an unexplained mystery.
Q.4. What do you understand about the author's literary inclinations from the account ?
Ans. We understand the following about the author's literary inclinations form the account:
(i) The author is a prose-writer. His style is chatty and rambling. One thought leads to another which is then dwelt upon at length .
(ii) He uses homour and satire in his writing.
(iii) His conviction is that prose-writing is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius.
(iv) A prose writer should be patient, persistent, persevering druge. His heart should be so shrunken that nothing can break it.
(v) If his writing is rejected, it does not make him disappointed. He at once sets about making a fresh copy of the long prose piece and sends it on to another editor.
(vi) The author participates in a short contest organised by a British periodical. The Encounter. When he comes to know that the editor of this periodical is the same English poet who visited the Gemini Studios, he was overjoyed.
Main points of the chapter :-
1. First of all, the writer gives a description of the make-up department. Truckload of make-up material were used in the make-up of various players. Pancake was the brand names of this material.
2. The make-up room looked liked a hair-cutting salon. It had large mirrors with incandescent lights all around. Thus those who came here for make-up had to bear the terrible heat of lamps.
3. The writer believes that the make-up gang turned decent-looking persons into hideous monsters. They perhaps did so to make them presentable in the movies.
the make-up department was headed by a Maharashtrian. Men form different states and communities worked under him Thus here was a perfect example of national integration.
5. A strict order of seniority was followed in the make-up department . The senior men did make-up for the chief actors and actresses. The juniors dealt with junior players in the same order. The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy.
6. This 'office boy' was actually no boy, He was around forty years old. He would mix his paint in a giant vessel and slap it on the crowd players. He was a frustrated person. He or a lyric writer. He was a bit of poet also.
7. Next, the writer describes one whom he calls No. 2 at the Gemini Studios. His names was Kothamangalam Subbu. He too had joined the studios in a very petty position. He had to face many problems and difficulties in his time. But by virtue of his many qualities, he had attained the position of next to The Boss. He was involved in every important work at the studios.
8. Listing some of the qualities of Subbu, the writer says that he had the ability to be cheerful at all times. He was very loyal to his master. He seemed to be tailor-made for films. He had a solutions for even the most difficult situation. He was the most important person during the golden days of the demini studios. He had a talent for writing great poetry but he deliberately chose to write for the masses only. He was an amazing actor. He never aspired to the lead roles. But whatever role he played, he performed better than the so-called . main players . He was very liberal in entertaining anyone who came to his house. he had a genuine love for anyone he came across.
But even such a liberal person had his enemies for various reasons of their own. One of them was the 'office boy ' of the make-up department. he held Subbu responsible for all his woes. He would wish the direst things for him.
9 . But even such a liberal person had his enemies for various reasons of their own. One of them was the 'office boy' of the make-up department . He held Subbu responsible for all his woes. He would wish the direst things for him.
10. Subbu was enrolled in the story Department. Along with him, there was a lawyer and several poets and writers. The lawyer was officially known as the legal adviser, but everybody, referred to him as the opposite. He was a spoilsport. While everyone else at the studios wore a khadi dhoti and a white khadi shirt, the lawyer wore pants and a tie. Sometimes he wore a coat that looked like a coat of arms.
11. Referring to himself, the writer says that he had a small room as his office. He sat there all day taking cuttings from newspapers and storing them in files. Everyone in the studios thought that he had almost nothing to do .
12. Gemini Studios had an excellent mess which supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the night. It provided the staff a lot of entertainment. Most of these people wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji. And they were all averse to the term 'Communism'.
13. Frank Buchman's Moral Re-Armament Army visited Madras some time in 1952. They were about two hundred in number. they presented two plays which ran several shows in Madras. Along with the other citizens of the city, the Genimi family of six hundred saw the plays over and over again. Madras and the Tamil drama community were terribly impressed. They copied their style for a number of years.
14. Last of all, the writer describes the visit of an English poet to the Gemini Studios. Nobody, not even The Boss, knew anything about him. The Boss spoke some words to welcome him and then the poet spoke. Nobody could understand a word of what the poet said. his visit remained an unexplained mystery for all the staff. But some years later, the writer learnt that this poet was Stephen Spender.
10. Subbu was enrolled in the story Department. Along with him, there was a lawyer and several poets and writers. The lawyer was officially known as the legal adviser, but everybody, referred to him as the opposite. He was a spoilsport. While everyone else at the studios wore a khadi dhoti and a white khadi shirt, the lawyer wore pants and a tie. Sometimes he wore a coat that looked like a coat of arms.
11. Referring to himself, the writer says that he had a small room as his office. He sat there all day taking cuttings from newspapers and storing them in files. Everyone in the studios thought that he had almost nothing to do .
12. Gemini Studios had an excellent mess which supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the night. It provided the staff a lot of entertainment. Most of these people wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji. And they were all averse to the term 'Communism'.
13. Frank Buchman's Moral Re-Armament Army visited Madras some time in 1952. They were about two hundred in number. they presented two plays which ran several shows in Madras. Along with the other citizens of the city, the Genimi family of six hundred saw the plays over and over again. Madras and the Tamil drama community were terribly impressed. They copied their style for a number of years.
14. Last of all, the writer describes the visit of an English poet to the Gemini Studios. Nobody, not even The Boss, knew anything about him. The Boss spoke some words to welcome him and then the poet spoke. Nobody could understand a word of what the poet said. his visit remained an unexplained mystery for all the staff. But some years later, the writer learnt that this poet was Stephen Spender.
Short Answer Type Questions :-
Q.1. What does the writer mean by 'the fiery misery' of those subjected to make-up ?
Ans. The writers means by 'the fiery misery' the pain and trouble caused by the incandescent lights which the persons who came there for make-up , had to bear in that hot room.
Q.2. What is the example of national integration that the author refers to ?
Ans. The author refers to the example of national integration that could be seen in the make-up department. The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. He was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, A Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and the usual local Tamils.
Q.3. What work did the 'office boy' do in the Gemini studios?
Ans. When there was a crowd-shooting in the Gemini studios , the 'office boy' used to do the make-up of those players who played the role of the crowd.
Q.4. Why did the 'office boy' join the studios ?
Ans. The office boy joined the studios in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyrics writer. He was a bit of a poet.
Long answer type Questions :-
Q.1. The author has used gentle humour to point out human foibles. Pick out instances of this to show how this serves to make the piece interesting.
Ans. the author has used gentle humour to point out human foibles from the beginning of the lesson till its end. Some instances of this are as follows:
(i) this gang of nationally integrated make-up men could turn any decent-looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster with the help of truck-loads of pancake and a number of other locally made potions and lotions.
(ii) I suppose the sets and studio light needed the girls and boys to be made to look ugly in order to look presentable in the movie.
(iii) In all instances of frustration, you will always find the anger directed towards a single person openly or covertly and this man of the make department was convinced that all his woes, ignominy and neglect were due to Kothamangalam Subbu.
(iv) .......prose-writing in not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius.
Q.2. Why was Kothamangalam Subbu Considered No. 2 in Gemini studios?
Ans. Kothamangalam subbu was considered No.2 in Gemini studios for the following reasons:
(i) Subbu was always always seen with the Boss.
(ii) Subbu could never as things on his own, but his sense of loyalty made him identify himself with his principal completely and turn made him identify himself with his principal completely and turn his entire creativity to his principal's advantage.
(iii) He was tailor-made for films.
(iv) When the producer would say that he didn't know how to do the scene, Subbu would come out with four ways. Even if the producer was in doubt, Subbu, in a mintue, would come out with fourteen more alternatives.
(v) Film-making must have been and was so easy for Subu. He gave direction and definition to Gemini studios during golden years.
(vi) He was a successful actor-he never aspired to the lead roles-but Whatever subsidiary role he played in any of the films, he performed better than the supposed main players.
Q.3. How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?
Ans. The audience at Genimi studios was comprising the simplest sort of Tamil speaking people. They Were never afforded an opportunity and possibility of cultivating a taste for English poetry.
An English poet, Stephen Spender, visited the Gemini studios and addressed the audience about the thrills and travails of an English poet. He couldn't have addressed a more dazed and silent audience. No listener in the audience knew what the speaker was talking about. If they tried to understanding what he was saying. his accent was a bar between the speaker and the listeners. He was speaking with his native accent.
When the speech was over, the poet left the studios. the audience was utterly baffled. They were at a loss to understand what they were doing there. The poet looked pretty baffled too, for he too must have felt the sheer incongruity of his talk about the thrills and travails of an English poet . His visit remained an unexplained mystery.
Q.4. What do you understand about the author's literary inclinations from the account ?
Ans. We understand the following about the author's literary inclinations form the account:
(i) The author is a prose-writer. His style is chatty and rambling. One thought leads to another which is then dwelt upon at length .
(ii) He uses homour and satire in his writing.
(iii) His conviction is that prose-writing is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius.
(iv) A prose writer should be patient, persistent, persevering druge. His heart should be so shrunken that nothing can break it.
(v) If his writing is rejected, it does not make him disappointed. He at once sets about making a fresh copy of the long prose piece and sends it on to another editor.
(vi) The author participates in a short contest organised by a British periodical. The Encounter. When he comes to know that the editor of this periodical is the same English poet who visited the Gemini Studios, he was overjoyed.
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