NCERT Questions (Think as you read)

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.

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

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 20th century

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

Q3. Asokamitran has used humor and satire effectively in Poets and Pancakes.

Discuss

Author uses gentle human and mild satire.

• Makes fun of the make-up applied to the artists which changes a decent person into

A monster.

• Sets required the actors to look ugly so that they look presentable in the movie.

• Characters of the office boy, Subbu No. 2 and the legal adviser has many subtle

Touches of humor.

• Purpose of the visits of Moral Re-Armament Army and the English Poet baffles

Everyone.

• Baffled reaction of the staff Gemini studio arouses humor.

• Satire is also directed towards people who are against communism and would do

Anything to oppose it

Q.4. 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.