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 POETS AND PANCAKES
SUMMARY

The essay, "Poets and Pancakes" is an extract from Asokamitran's book

"My Years with Boss." The Boss was S.S. Vasan, who founded the
Gemini Studios which produced a number of films that influenced every
aspect of Indian life.
Asokamitran talks about his days at Gemini Studios. He is known for his
humour and gender satire. He explains us about a make-up material. The
brand name of this material was Pancake. This material was bought and

N
used up in the studios. He gives name of few actresses who used that
material. He suggests that the make-up department was located in a

A
building which was believed to have been Robert Clive's stable.
However, there were several buildings associated with Robert Clive's
residence but this was not true as Clive's stay in India was very short

A
lived

D
Further, he gives a description of the make-up department as a symbol of
national integration and the make-up room as a hair-cutting salon.
Pancake and many other lotions made actors ugly as it was necessary to

U
make them presentable in a movie. In the make-up department, there was
a forty-year-old office boy with dream of becoming a star-actor or
director or lyrics writer. His dreams remained unfulfilled, making him
frustrated. For this, he blamed Subbu, who was No. 2 and a favourite of
the boss.
The writer tells about poets who used to wear khadi and believed that
Communists were monster^. He even tells about legal adviser who had
been the member of the story department. He was at odds in the
department and lost his job with the closure of story department. The
legal adviser had even once brought an abrupt end to the promising
career of a talented actress.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
SUMMARY
The Gemini Studios even hosted a two-hundred strong Moral Rearmament
Army (MRA) which showed two plays in the most professional manner.
The plays became a good success and left their impression on Tamil drama.
Later, the writer however, learnt that MRA was actually a
counter-Communist movement.

The writer even tells us about Subbu, a man of many abilities and
kind-hearted person. However, the office boys felt jealous of him, and

N
cursed him.
The writer humorously tells of an English poet's visit to the studios.
Though royal preparations were done but the purpose of his arrival was a

A
mystery for long time to come. At the studios, they had never heard the
poet's name before. Further, they did not understand what he spoke. The

A
poet also perhaps felt baffled.
Asokamitran's duty at the studios was to cut newspaper clippings on
several issues and store them in files.

D
However, anyone who saw him tearing newspapers thought he had no
work. Thus, everybody wanted to deliver some work to him.

U
The author saw a notice in The Hindu. A short story contest had been
organised by a British periodical called, The Encounter. The writer desired
to send an entry. However, he wanted to know status of the periodical. For
this, he went to British Council Library. There he found it. He learnt that
the editor of the periodical was Stephen Spender, the poet who had come to
Gemini Studios.

After his retirement, he came across a book titled, The God That Failed. It
had six essavs about failure of Communism. One of these essays was
written by Spender. The mystery of Spender's visit to Gemini Studios was
cleared. Perhaps it had something to do with his anti-communist
perspective.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Question 1.
Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to us as unexplained mystery?
Answer:
The visit of the Englishman raised many queries and doubts in the minds
of those who were working in Gemini Studios. The Englishman’s name
was unfamiliar and his credentials too were unconfirmed. No one could
understand his speech so everyone wondered why he had come to a film
studio that made Tamil films for simple people who had no interest in

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English poetry.

Question 2.

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Answer:

A
Who was the English visitor to the studios and what was the purpose of
his visit?

The Englishman who visited the studios was Stephen Spender. He was

D
an English poet and the editor of a British periodical, ‘The Encounter’.
He visited the studio to deliver a speech at the invitation of Mr. Vasan
who was the boss of Gemini Studios. He was unable to establish a

U
rapport with his dazed audience. No one really understood the purpose of
his visit. Even his identity was discovered by Asokamitran years later,
that too by sheer chance.

Question 3.
What was MRA and why it was welcomed at the Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The MRA, the Moral Rearmament Army, was a kind of counter
movement to international communism. They were welcomed at the
Gemini Studios due to their political affiliations. The big boss of the
studio, Mr. Vasan literally played into their hands.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Also, people at the Gemini Studios were averse to communism. So the

Moral Rearmament Army could not have found a better host in India
than the Gemini Studios, who welcomed them warmly.

Question 4.
How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet
addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?

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Answer:
The English poet’s address was a complete misfit in the midst of the

A
Tamil knowing audience at Gemini Studios. His speech was incongruous
and his accent so indistinct that no one actually understood a word of
what he said. He was talking about the thrills and travails of an English

A
poet to a dazed audience. Finally, neither the Englishman himself nor his
audience understood why they were going through the entire ordeal.

D
Question 5.
Why did everybody in the studio think of giving the author some work to

U
do?
Answer:
The author’s job was to cut out newspaper clippings on a wide variety of
subjects and store them in files. Most people saw him doing this and
considered it as useless work as they felt he was doing next to nothing.
So everyone in the studio thought of giving the author some work to do.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Question 6.
Why did the ‘boy’ in the makeup department come to the author? Why
was the author praying for crowd shooting all the time?
Answer:
The ‘boy’ in the makeup department thought that he had a great literary
talent and he wanted to enlighten the author how this talent was being
allowed to go waste and that the department was fit for barbers and

N
perverts. The author was very eager to avoid his epical narrations so he
prayed for crowd-shooting all the time to keep the ‘boy’ busy.

Question 7.
Who was Subbu’s enemy? Why?

A
Answer:

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Subbu’s enemy was the ‘boy’ at the make-up department. All his anger

D
and frustration were directed against him. The boy was convinced that
Subbu was the cause of his woes and miseries. This ‘boy’ was jealous of
Subbu’s rising stars, his success and his intimacy with the boss.

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Question 8.
What were the positive qualities of Subbu that the writer admired?
Answer:
The writer admired Subbu as he was a multi¬faceted genius and gave a
new direction and . definition to Gemini Studios. Subbu knew the
technicalities and details of film-making and was a good actor and
writer.
He was civil, friendly and completely devoted to his boss, Mr. Vasan.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Question 9.
Account for Subbu’s importance in Gemini Studios.
Answer:
Subbu was a multi-faceted genius. He was a poet, a writer and a great
actor. He gave a new meaning and direction not only to Gemini Studios
but also to the art of film-making by using all his energy and creativity to
the company’s advantage. Moreover, because of his noble and charitable

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nature he was loved by almost everyone.

A
Question 10.
Why was Subbu considered number two at Gemini Studios?
Answer:

A
Subbu was a go-getter and made a position for himself in the studios by
pushing his way to the forefront with flattery. Mr. Vasan was the boss at

D
Gemini Studios and Subbu, his right-hand man, became the number two
at Gemini Studios. Subbu used his entire creativity to his boss’s
advantage. He was a multi-faceted genius and if a producer was not

U
satisfied Subbu would come up with fourteen alternatives. With Subbu
around, film-making became a sheer pleasure. Moreover Subbu gave
direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years.

Question 11.
How did the people of Madras and those at Gemini Studios respond to
the plays staged by the Moral Re-Armament Army?
Answer:
The Moral Re-Armament Army presented two plays ‘Jotham Valley’ and
‘The Forgotten Factor’ in a very professional manner. The people at
Gemini Studios saw the plays over and over again.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Though the message was plain, the costumes and sets were first rate.
These plays ran several shows in Madras and left a great impact on the
studios and on Madras in general. For some years almost all Tamil plays
imitated the scenes of sunrise and sunset of ‘Jotham Valley’.

Question 12.
Why was the Moral Re-armament Army welcomed at the Gemini

N
Studios?
Answer:

A
The Moral Re-armament Army was a kind of counter movement to
International Communism. The big boss of Gemini Studios, Mr. Vasan
literally played into their hands. People at the Gemini Studios had an

A
aversion to communism. So the Moral Re-armament Army could not
have found a better host in India than the Gemini Studios who welcomed

D
them warmly.

Question 13.

U
Give one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the
plays staged by MRA.
Answer:
The MRA staged two plays ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’.
These were presented in the most professional manner. The six hundred
strong Gemini family saw these plays numerous times because of their
fabulous sets and costumes. For years the Gemini Studios copied the sets
and costumes in the manner of ‘Jotham Valley’. Also for some years
almost all Tamil plays had a scene of sunrise and sunset in the manner of
‘Jotham Valley’.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Question 14.
Which example of national integration in Gemini Studios is given in
‘Poets and Pancakes’?
Answer:
The make-up department of the Gemini Studios gave a rare example of
national integration. The department was first headed by a Bengali who
was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. He was assisted by a Kannadiga
from Dharwar, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian and an

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Anglo-Burmese. Then there were the usual local Tamils. All this gave
ample proof of national integration.

Question 15.

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Answer:

A
Why did Asokamirtan pray for crowd¬shooting all the time?

Asokamirtan was wrongly believed to have nothing to do so the

D
office-boy often came to his cubicle to give an outlet to his frustrations
and stress the fact that a great talent was being wasted. The author was
bored with the office boy’s never-ending babble and prayed for

U
crowd-shooting all the time so that the boy remained busy and did not
pester him.

Question 16.
Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at Gemini studios?
Answer:
The author’s job was to sit at his desk and tear up newspapers all day. He
used to cut newspaper clippings on a wide variety of subjects and stored
them in files. His job was not directly related to film making at the
studio. So he appeared to be doing nothing at Gemini Studios.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Question 17.
How did the author discover who the English visitor to the Studios was?
Or
How did Asokamitran come to know that the English visitor to the
Gemini Studios was Stephen Spender?
Answer:
Years later, when Asokamitran was out of Gemini Studios he bought a
pile of brand new books at a reduced price from a footpath in front of

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Madras Mount Road Post Office. In a book ‘The God That Failed’ six
eminent writers had described their journeys into communism. It was in

A
this book that he came across the name of Stephen Spender and finally
discovered the identity of the English visitor to the Studios.

A
Question 18.
What made the lawyer lose his job? What does the writer find so funny

D
about the situation?
Answer:
The lawyer was the legal adviser of an assembly of writers of the Gemini

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Studio’s Story Department. One day, the Boss terminated the services of
the poets and writers as he found their contribution to the Studio
negligible. With the closure of the Story Department the lawyer too lost
his job. The writer found this situation funny because the lawyer lost his
job as the poets and writers were told to go.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Question 19.
Why was the office boy disappointed with his job in the Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The office boy had come to work in the Gemini Studios in the hope of
becoming a star or a renowned screen writer, director or lyricist. But he
felt disappointed because in spite of having crossed the age of forty he
had not been able to fulfil any of his dreams.

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Question 20.
Kothamangalam Subbu was treated with regard in the Gemini Studios.

A
Why?
Answer:
Kothamangalam Subbu was treated with regard at Gemini Studios. He

A
held the No. 2 position there. His sense of loyalty made him turn his
entire creativity to his Boss’ advantage. Moreover, he had the ability to

D
inspire when commanded and he made the art of film¬making appear
very easy. He was a most charitable and improvident man.

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Question 21.
Why is the Englishman’s visit to the Gemini Studios referred to as an
unexplained mystery?
Answer:
The Englishman addressed a dazed and silent audience at Gemini
Studios. No one knew who he was and what he was talking about. His
accent also defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying. The
Englishman himself looked equally baffled due to the incongruity of his
talk. So his visit is referred to as an unexplained mystery.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Question 22.
Why did Asokamitran pray for crowd¬shooting all the time?
Answer:
Asokamitran was wrongly believed to have nothing to do so the
office-boy often came to his cubicle to give an outlet to his frustrations
and stress the fact that a great talent was being wasted. The author was
bored with the office boy’s never-ending babble and prayed for
crowd-shooting all the time so that the boy remained busy and did not

N
pester him.

A A
UD
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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 MARKS)

Question 23.
Kothamangalam Subbu was a ‘many-sided genius’. Elaborate.
Or
Why is Subbu described as a many-sided genius? Give a reasoned
answer.
Answer:

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It is through the character of Kothamangalam Subbu, that the author
depicts a caricature of the so-called ‘go-getters’ who are not really
talented but manage to create an aura of talent around themselves.

A
Though officially on the rolls of the Story Department at Gemini Studios,
he was always with the boss. Subbu directs all his energies and creativity

A
to his boss’ advantage. He delves into the various spheres of film-making
successfully giving the impression of being a brilliant story-writer, a
talented actor and a man who is always ready with many solutions for

D
any problem. He makes the art of film-making appear rather easy for his
boss. Thus Subbu with his scheming nature takes advantage of his boss’

U
gullibility and passes off himself as a multi-sided genius with
multi-faceted abilities.

Question 24.
Asokamitran has used humour and satire effectively in ‘Poets and
Pancakes’. Discuss. Or
How does humour and satire enliven the account of the events and
personalities at Gemini Studios as portrayed by Asokamitran in ‘Poets
and Pancakes’?

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 MARKS)
Answer:
In the chapter, ‘Poets and Pancakes’, Asokamitran uses a lot of subtle
humour and satire to highlight human foibles. Petty professional
differences and inconsequential differences not only keep our minds
occupied but also bring out a subtle humour that is spontaneous without
being superfluous. The characterisation of the office boy, Subbu and the
legal advisor, have subtle touches of humour. Asokamitran’s chatty style

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changes from one thought to the other rather quickly. For example, he
makes fun of the makeup applied to artists which can change any decent

A
looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster. Such references
invoke laughter. The purpose of the visits of the Moral Rearmament
Army and the English poet also baffles everyone. Satire is also directed

A
towards people who are against communism and can go to any length to
oppose it. The writer’s tone of ridicule is devoid of the slightest trace of

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mockery, which is most commendable.

Question 25.

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Subbu was ‘tailor-made for films’. How did he use his genius in various
activities in the Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The author portrays Subbu as a man of versatile abilities who could
delve into various aspects of film-making successfully. Subbu had
mastered all the arts related to film-making ranging from story-writing to
poetry and characterisation. He was in fact ‘tailor-made’ for
film-making. Film-making seemed rather easy with an expert like Subbu
walking around as he understood all the trivialities and technicalities of
film-making. Subbu was the one who gave ‘a new direction and
definition’ to the Gemini Studios during its golden years.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 MARKS)
Subbu directed his entire energies and creativity to his boss, Mr. Vasan’s
advantage. If his boss was dissatisfied with one scene Subbu would offer
him many alternatives. He understood all the complications of
film-making and could showcase his talent in every artistic arena.

Question 26.
Why and how was the Moral Re-Armament Army welcomed at the

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Gemini Studios?
Answer:

A
Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament Army comprising of a group of
two hundred people belonging to twenty nationalities visited Madras in
1952. The MRA was seen to be a counter movement to international

A
communism and people at the Gemini Studios did not think highly of
communism and communists. But Mr. Vasan, the boss at Gemini Studios

D
was fascinated by the MRA, so they could not have found a ‘warmer’
host than Gemini Studios in India. The MRA presented two plays
‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ in the most professional

U
manner. Six hundred people of the Gemini Studios saw the plays many
times. These plays conveyed simple messages but their sets and
costumes were ‘first rate’. They impressed both the Tamil drama
community and the Gemini Studios. The sunrise and sunset scenes of
‘Jotham Valley’ continued to be copied for years to come.

Question 27.
‘Subbu was a troubleshooter.’ Do you agree with this statement? Give an
account of Subbu’s qualities of head and heart.

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 POETS AND PANCAKES
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 MARKS)
Answer:
Subbu was a perfectly selfish go-getter whose obsequiousness brought
him close to his boss and shot him to number two position at Gemini
Studios. He was a very conniving person who took advantage of his
boss’ gullibility and portrayed himself as a rather competent and able
person. Though he was undeserving and lacked talent, he always
remained cheerful and did not let anything dampen his spirits. He always
had something good to say about everyone. Film-making appeared easy
with an expert like Subbu around. He used all his energy and creativity to

A N
his boss’ advantage. Subbu was also a great poet and an amazing actor.
He wrote truly original poems for the masses and as an actor he played
secondary roles better than the main actors. His sycophancy to his boss
earned him enemies. Also he angered many such people who considered
themselves much more talented and deserving than him.

DA
Question 28.
What political significance does Gemini Studios’ invitation to Moral
Re-Armament army and Stephen Spender show?

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Answer:
The Moral Re-Armament army was a kind of counter movement to
Communism and the people at the Gemini Studios had a natural aversion
towards Communists and Communism. They considered that the aim of
Communists was to spread unrest and violence. So by being a ‘warm
host’ to the Moral Re¬Armament army the people at the Gemini Studios
actually displayed a counter movement to the ideas of Communism. By
inviting Stephen Spender, once again the purpose of the Gemini Studios
was to highlight how a renowned English poet, who was once attracted
to Communism, was later completely disillusioned by it. This further
strengthened their aversion to Communism and they were able to
publicly display this aversion.
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