Poets and pancakes

POETS AND PANCAKES

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS

Q 1 What does the writer mean by the fiery misery of those subjected to make-up?

The ‘fiery misery’ of those in the makeup room suggests the discomfort caused by incandescent lights fitted at all angles. All of them when lit emitted so much heat and light that it was torturous for those who were subjected to make up.

Q.2.What is the example of national integration that the author refers to in the Gemini Studios?

Ans: In the studio the people from different regions and religions working together presented a glimpse of national integration. The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. He was assisted by a Kannadiga from Dharwar and Andhra, Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration in the makeup room of the Gemini Studios.

Q3. What work did the ‘Office Boy’ do in the Gemini Studio?

ANS.It was the duty of the ‘office boy’ to do the make up of the crowd players at Gemini studio. He mixed his paint in a big container and slapped it on the crowd players.

Q4 Why was the office boy frustrated?

Ans. The office boy had joined Gemini Studios in the hope of becoming a star actor, a top screenwriter, a director or a lyricist. He was frustrated as his dreams remained unfulfilled as he remained merely an office boy.

Q5 Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at Gemini Studios?

Ans. The author appeared to be doing nothing as his job was to gather relevant newspaper clippings. Throughout the day he could be seen tearing up newspapers sitting at his desk. This made others feel that he had very little to do.

Q6 Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?

The legal advisor recorded the tirade of a temperamental actress bringing her career to an end. That’s why he was referred to as the opposite by others.

Q7 What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?

(While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform — khadi dhoti

with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt — the legal adviser wore

pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often he looked alone and

helpless — a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers — a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites

and khadiites.)

Q8Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?

Most of the people at Gemini Studios were followers of Gandhiji and wore khadi. Beyond that they did not have any particular political affiliations. However, they were all against communism.

Q9 Why was the Moral Re-Armament army welcomed at the Gemini Studios? (Poets and Pancakes)

Ans      The Moral Re-Armament Army was a kind of counter movement to international communism. Big bosses of madras like Mr. Vasan simply played into their hands. So, the Moral Re-Armament Army was welcomed into the Studios.

Q10.Name one example to show that Gemini studio was influenced by plays staged by MRA.

Ans      Madras and the Tamil drama community was influenced by the plays staged by the MRA. For some years almost all Tamil plays had a scene of sunrise and sunset in the manner of ‘Jotham Valley’ with a bare stage, a white background curtain and a tune played on the flute.

Q11. What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studio?

ANS.The people at Gemini Studios could not understand what the Englishman was saying. His accent was also different. It was very strange thing that an English poet was addressing the audience who were making Tamil films. This caused lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios

Q12 Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?

None of the employees of the studio knew the identity of the visitor and his purpose of visiting the studio.Even the speech of the poet was beyond comprehension. They did not know what an English poet was doing in a film studio which made Tamil films for simplest sort of people who had no taste for English poetry.

Q13How did the author discover who the English poet was?

Ans. The author wanted to participate in a short story contest organized by a British periodical named ‘The Encounter’. Being unfamiliar with the periodical he went to the British Council Library to find out about the same and discovered that the editor was none other than Stephen Spender.

Q14What does ‘The God That Failed’ refer to?
A. ‘The God That Failed’ is a book of six essays by six eminent men of letters that describe their journey to communism and disillusioned return. Stephen Spender was one of the authors.

NCERT Questions (Understanding the text)

Q1       Pick out instances to show how the author has used gentle humour and human foibles to make the piece interesting.

Ans1. Author has used gentle and subtle humour to point out human foibles and idiosyncrasies.

·         Exposes Robert Clive’s ambitions and his restless nature

·         Office boy’s boasting and bragging about his talent is brought out

·         Legal adviser is known as the opposite

·         -use of pancake –ostensibly to cover the pores

·         Team of make up artists is referred to as ‘gang of nationally integrated make up men ‘ who could turn any decent looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster

·         -Strict hierarchy.

·         Commenting on Subbu’s exposure to affluent situations ,he ridicules his virtue- the virtue of being a Brahmin.His inefficiency is pointed out subtly with a comment “he always had work for somebody” . The rapidity with which Subbu offered his Boss alternatives when he got stuck up is very amusing.

·         pokes fun at the ignorance of all the people . did not know who was Stephen Spenders and why did he arrive

Q2Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios?

.Kothamangalam Subbu was considered as No. 2 in Gemini Studio because he was next in a position to the Boss. Apart from the fact that he was a Brahmin ,which was considered a head start by many ,he was a many sided genius. He had a creative mind as he could provide various alternatives as how a scene could be emoted. He was tailor made for films and had a separate identity as a poet. He was also an amazing actor. His sense of loyalty made him identify with the principal. For all these virtues he stood apart from others and enjoyed a higher rank.

Q3       How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audiences at Gemini Studios?

Ans 3.There is incongruity of the English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studio as he talked about thrills and travails of an English poet in front of Tamil knowing audience who hardly had any taste for English poetry. So the audience could not understand what he was talking about. Moreover his English accent was incomprehensible to them.

Q4       Comment on the author’s literary inclination.

Ans 4 The author’s job at Gemini Studio was to cut and file paper clippings. Although he performed an insignificant task , he was the most well informed of all the members of the Studio. His literary interest is evident from the fact that he participated in a story writing competition organized by the periodical ‘Encounter’ and he purchased the books to read even when he was short of money.

EXTRA QUESTIONS (SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS)

Q1 Through the mention of Robert Clive, how does the narrator bring out the extravaganza of those in power?

Ans: 1. The make up department of Gemini studio was in a building that was believed to have been Rober Clive’s stable. So the place which was worth to become a studio had been misused by the Britishers. Extravaganza of the Britishers has also been brought out when the author mentions that Robert Clive used to own several buildings.

Q2. Describe the make-up room of the Gemini Studios as described by the author.

Ans. It looked like a hair cutting salon, with incandescent lights that made the room very hot, placed at all angles around half a dozen mirrors. It was so hot that the ones whose make-up was done there were subjected to ‘fiery misery’.

Q3 A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up department . Explain.

Ans. It was so as each make-up man was allotted his task according to his designation. The chief make-up man attended the chief actors and actresses, his senior assistant the second hero and heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian, the office boy the actors who played the crowd and so forth.

Q4 why did the office boy come to the author? Why was the author praying for crowd shooting?

Since the author was wrongly believed to have no work to do , the office boy often came to his cubicle to give went to his frustration and impress upon him that a great talent remained untapped and was being wasted. Since the author was bored with the office –boy’s never ending babble , he prayed for crowd shooting so that the boy would be busy in painting the crowd and would not pester him.

Q5 What advantage did the office boy think Subbu had?

d) Subbu, in no way was superior to the office boy in talent or education. It was by the dint of his birth in a Brahmin family that he got a lead over him. His ‘birth” helped him get better openings, opportunities and exposure. Thus he had an edge over the office boy.

Q6 Who was Subbu’s enemy? Why?

·         office boy

·         convinced that all his woes, ignominy and neglect were due to Subbu / who only by virtue of being born a Brahmin had exposure to more affluent situations and people.

Q7. Subbu was charitable and improvident, yet he had enemies. Why?

Ans. Subbu’s good qualities were overlooked as his desire to please the boss, the key to his success, made him seem like a sycophant. His non critical attitude was misconstrued as cleverness. So he had enemies, as the office boy, who blamed him for their failures

Q8 How did the lawyer lose his job ?

Ans      The lawyer was allowed to produce a film. But when the Boss closed down the story Department, the poets were asked to go home and the lawyer lost his job.

Q9.What role did the canteen play at the Gemini studio?

Ans      The canteen or mess at the Gemini Studios was the favourite haunt or meeting place of all the poets. It was open day and night and provided good coffee and a place to get together and hold discussions.

Q10 What was the opinion of the khadi clad poets of Gemini Studios about Communism?

Ans. They were against Communism as that was the prevailing political notion in South India. A Communist to them was a Godless man, had no filial or conjugal love, could unhesitatingly kill his parents or children and was always out to cause and spread violence and unrest.

Q11 What shows that the boss knew very little about the poet who was visiting Gemini studio?(p-64 , 1^st seven lines)

Q12Why was the English poet who visited the Gemini Studios as baffled as his audience?

Ans. The poet Stephen Spender was baffled, as he could comprehend that his audience was unable to understand him. The audience was also baffled as the poet’s accent defeated comprehension and they had no idea as to why the English poet had been invited to address an audience that had nothing to do with English poetry.

Q13. Why did Stephen Spender visit Gemini Studios?

Ans. Stephen Spender was an anti Communist like the people at Gemini Studios. He had been invited to talk about his journey into Communism and his disillusioned return.

Q14.The boss of Gemini studio had nothing to do with Spender’s poetry but not with his 'God that failed`. Bring out the significance of this line?

LONG QUESTIONS:

Q1 Describe the Moral Re-Armament Army’s visit to Gemini Studios?

·         Frank Buchman’s MRA comprising of two hundred members visited Chennai in 1952.

·         MRA- counter movement to Communism

·         People thought it was an international circus

·         Two plays ‘The Forgotten Factor’ and ‘Jotham Valley’ ran several shows in Madras

·         Good sets and costumes

·         Tamil drama community was extremely impressed

·         For some years almost all Tamil plays had a scene of sunrise and sunset as in ‘Jotham Valley’-bare stage, white background curtain and a tune played on the flute.

Q2 Analyse the character of Kothamangalam Subbu.

·         Many sided genius

·         Didn’t have much formal education but had learnt from his exposure to prosperous people

·         Sense of loyalty made him to identify completely with his boss. Turned all his creativity to his boss’s advantage.

·         Had a solution for any problem encountered by Mr. Vasan.

·         Gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios

·         A poet capable of writing complex poems but chose deliberately to address the masses

·         Composed several truly original story poems in folk refrain and diction

·         Wrote a sprawling novel- Thilana Mohanambal with dozens of deftly etched characters-recreated manner of Devdasis of the early 20^th century

·         Powerful actor- never aspired for lead roles- better in subsidiary roles than lead actors

Q.3. What does Asokamitran’s lesson ‘Poet and Pancakes’ deal with?

Ans: The author, Asokamitran recounts his years spent at the Gemini studios. Gemini Studios was set up in the year 1940 in Chennai and grew into one of the most influential film producing organizations of India in the early years of the Indian film making industry. The studios of film production has never confined its activities within the four walls of the studios but it also gives a fine glimpse of outside world as well.

The production department has two prominent divisions – the make up department and the story department. In the make up room there had a team of workers from chief make-up man to the office boy who stopped the crowd players with lotions and pancakes. Pancakes were used by the actors and actress. Pancake was the popular brand name there. There was a strict hierarchy of make up man.

The story department had its significant contribution. There was a legal advisor duly accompanied with an assembly of poets and writers. They were engaged in creating story, songs, social and other work. In those days, it was mainly indoor shooting. The Boss had a strict vigil at every aspect. He was assisted by Kothamanglam Subbu, who was an indispensable person for the studios. Beside this, the Gemini Studios had become the favourite haunt of the poet and other visitors because of its decent mess that served coffee till the late at night. The studios hosted the visit of Moral Re-Armament Army and a poet-cum-editor Stephen Spender. The MRA was a counter movement to international communism but the people at the studios were averse in this ideology. The visit of Spender also became an unexplained mystery for all.