Poets
And Pancakes by Asokamitran
1.How does the writer
describe the make-up room of the Gemini Studios?
Ans :
The make-up room of the Gemini Studios had incandescent
lights. It also had lights at all angles around large mirrors. Those subjected
to make-up had to face bright light and a lot of heat there. It was on the
upper floor of the building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s
stables.
2. How was the
make-up room a fine example of national integration?
Ans :
Transcending all the barriers of regions, religions and
castes, people from all over India came to Gemini Studios for jobs. The make-up
department was headed by a Bengali, succeeded by a Maharashtrian, assisted by a
Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madrasi, Christian and an Anglo Burmese and the
usual local Tamils. Hence, the writer finds in the make-up department a perfect
example of national integration.
3 Why was the office
boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on and how?
Ans : The office boy had joined the studio years back. He
aspired to be a top film star, or top screen writer, lyricist or director. He
felt frustrated on not being able to realise his dreams and had been given a
job much below his calibre and dignity. He blamed Kothamangalam Subbu for all
his woes, ignominy and neglect. He often gave vent to his frustrations in the
narrator’s cubicle. The narrator yearned for relief from the never-ending
babble of the office boy.
4 Subbu is described
as a many-sided genius. Justify.
Ans : Kothamangalam Subbu may not have had much formal
education but, by virtue of his being born as a Brahmin, he had had exposure to
many affluent situations and people. He had the ability to look cheerful at all
times, even after a setback. He was always full of creative ideas. Above all,
he was a charitable and extravagant man and hospitable to his relations. His
loyalty had put him close to his boss. But he seemed to others a sycophant and
a flatterer and, probably, that was the reason he had enemies.
5. Why did the
magazine, ‘The Encounter’, ring a bell in the writer’s mind?
Ans :
The writer wanted to participate in a short story writing
contest organized by ‘The Encounter’, a British publication. Before sending his
entry, he waited, confirm the authenticity of the periodical, so he visited the
British Council Library. When the author read the editor’s name, a bell rang in
his mind. It was Stephen Spender, the poet who had visited the Gemini Studios.
6. Why was Gemini
Studios a favourite haunt of poets?
Ans : Gemini Studios was a favourite haunt of poets as it
had an excellent mess which supplied good coffee at all times of the day and
for most part of the night. Meeting there was a satisfying entertainment.
Moreover, Mr. Vasan was a great admirer of scholarly people.
7. Explain the
appropriateness of the title ‘Poets and Pancakes’?
Ans : The chapter describes Gemini Studios and its
functioning very clearly. Its employees are little unrecognized poets. Though
they work in a film studio, the focus is on the author’s station in the Studios
as a make-up boy using pancakes on crowd players, and how he failed as a poet.
So, the title is appropriate.
8.How humorously does
the author describe Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament Army?
Ans : The author humorously calls the Moral Re-Armament Army
after someone as ‘an international circus’. Then he states that they were not
very good on the trapeze. Their acquaintance with animals should have been much
as animals play tricks in a circus. “But the group ate animals”, says the
author their acquaintance with animals was only at the dining table.
9. ‘Poets and
Pancakes’ is a beautiful example of humour in its chatty and rambling style’.
Comment. 6
Ans : ‘Poets and Pancakes’ is an account of Asokamitran’s
experiences at the Gemini Studios. Asokamitran deals with a wide variety of
ideas where despite one thought leading to another, the thematic coherence is
never lost. The author has adopted a chatty and rambling style. The style has a
flow and the reader glides smoothly with the flow of the narrative. Asokamitran
highlights human foibles and unusual behaviour with the help of subtle humour.
All the characters are so life like that the reader seems to come across in
real life. The subtle humour is neither superimposed nor superfluous.
Throughout the chapter humour seems to be spontaneous and interwoven. Even the
choice of the title shows that Asokamitran has a flair for natural humour. He
ridicules without hurting and the entire account becomes very interesting.
Throughout the chapter the reader doesn’t find even the slightest trace of
malice. But every now and then the author speaks with his tongue-in-cheek way
and pays left-handed compliments to different characters to the great amusement
of the readers.
10. Describe Stephen
Spender’s visit to Gemini Studios. 6
Ans : There was a lot of speculation about Spender’s visit.
Initially, everyone thought he was a poet but later they heard that he was an
editor. The author describes him as a tall, very English and a serious person.
It was evident from Boss’ speech that he knew very little about the visitor.
When Spender addressed the gathering they were all dazed as they couldn’t
understand his accent and didn’t understand what he was talking about. Even
Spender must have sensed the incongruity of being called to talk about the
travails of an English poet in a film studio making simple Tamil films. His
visit remained an unexpected mystery. It was only much later that Asokamitran
learnt that the reason why the boss had invited Spender. Spender was
disillusioned with communism and had contributed an essay in a book on
communism called ‘The God That Failed’.
Q11. What was the
opinion of most of the people at the studios regarding communism?
Ans : The people at the Gemini Studios wore Khadi dhoti and
a clumsily tailored white khadi shirt. It was a crowd of dreamers and an
assembly of Gandhiites and khadietes. The Congress rule meant prohibition and
most employees worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that they had no admiration for
political thought of any kind. They hated the term ‘communism’ as to them a
communist was a godless man, incapable of love and always out to spread unrest
and violence among the innocent and ignorant people. When Frank Buchman’s Moral
Re-Armament Army visited the Gemini Studios in 1952, they gave them a warm reception.
Later they learnt that MRA was a counter movement to international communism
and the big bosses of Madras like Mr. Vasan simply played into their hands.
Later, the mystery of the visit of Stephen Spender was resolved and the writer
came to know the reason of his visit and that the Boss of Gemini Studios had
not been interested in Spender’s poetry but in communism. But the khadi-clad
poets of Gemini Studios felt the same aversion for communism.
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