How does the Make-Up section at the Gemini Studios display National Integration?
The make-up section at Gemini Studios is a perfect example of national integration. It was first headed by a Bengali. He was followed by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese, and the usual local Tamils.
According to Asokamitran, 'All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration long before A.I.R. and Doordarshan began broadcasting programmes on national integration.'
People from different regions, religions and linguistic groups had worked towards a common goal, namely to apply pancake (foundation) on the actors and actresses so as to make them look good in the films.
How was hierarchy maintained in the make-up department?
A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up department. The chief make-up man applied make-up on the chief actors and actresses. His senior assistant applied make-up on the second hero and heroine. The junior assistant applied make-up on the main comedian. The people who played the role of the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy.
Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the Gemini Studios?
Asokamitran's job was to collect newspaper clippings. He spent all day poring through newspapers, cutting up interesting articles for future reference. In today's times, we would say he did research. Seeing him sitting in his cubicle tearing newspapers all the time, people thought he was doing nothing.
Who was Kothamangalam Subbu? What is the author's attitude toward him? Why does the office boy feel angry towards K.Subbu?
The office boy's frustration and anger was directed at K.Subbu who was number two after S.S. Vasan. He believed that he had reached the number two position 'by virtue of being born a Brahmin'. Moreover, he had the ability 'to look cheerful at all times even after having a hand in a flop film.' He was loyal to the principal Mr S.S. Vasan and when there was a problem with the script, he could come out with four alternative options of the rat pouring affection on the offspring of the tigress that it had earlier killed!
It appears as though Subbu was a multi-faceted, versatile and a valuable asset for the Gemini Studios. He had apparently given direction and definition to the Gemini Studios during its golden years. But then, Subbu was also a writer. He had written several poems and a novel titled 'Thillana Mohanambal'. As an actor in subsidiary roles, 'he performed better than the supposed main players.' He seemed to be a philanthropist who had a genuine love for anyone he came across. His house was a permanent residence for dozens of relations.
Yet, Asokamitran expresses surprise that such a charitable man should have enemies! In a rather humorous and suggestive manner, he says, 'Was it because he seemed so close and intimate with the Boss? Or was it his general demeanour that resembled a sycophant's?' These questions seem to suggest that Subbu had risen up the ladder because of his being a flatterer, a sycophant and a 'yes man' for Vasan.
One might reason that the office boy's animosity towards K. Subbu could have been the result of not seeing his dreams of becoming a star actor or top screenwriter or even lyrics writer materialise into reality. Like Subbu, the office boy was even 'a bit of a poet,' but then, unlike Subbu he had failed to achieve the second position. The office boy was frustrated by his own inability to rise above his existing position in the Gemini studios, and so he was jealous of Subbu.
Why was the Lawyer or the legal advisor referred to as the opposite by others? What made him stand out from the others at the Gemini Studios?
Why was the Lawyer or the legal advisor referred to as the opposite by others? What made him stand out from the others at the Gemini Studios?
The lawyer who was grouped under the Story Department was also referred to as the legal advisor. But then he was called opposite by others because he was one of the reasons why a talented actress quit acting. He had recorded her tantrums and made her listen to it. She never recovered from the terror of listening to herself shout. The legal advisor, moreover, wore pants and tie and sometimes a coat. Often he looked alone and helpless a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers.
What was the MRA?
The MRA or the Moral Re-armament army, was a two-hundred-strong troupe of actors. They acted two different plays for the employees of Gemini Studios. The plays, Jotham Valley and the Forgotten Factor, had very ordinary themes, but the sets and costumes were very good. Asokamitran later learned that the MRA 'was a kind of counter-movement to international Communism'.
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SOME PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR POETS AND PANCAKES
STAND ALONE QUESTIONS
1. Which of these statements is NOT TRUE about Subbu?
a) His literary accomplishments stole the limelight from his films.
b) He was a gifted poet and writer, and his literary works were noteworthy.
c) He was selfless in nature and was empathetic towards others.
d) He never hankered after lead roles and performed minor roles in films.
2. The word ‘sprawling’ has been used with the word ‘novel’. Pick the option with
which the word ‘sprawling’ CANNOT be used.
a) metropolis
b) handwriting
c) campus
d) portrait
3. The phrase ‘deftly etched’ shows that Subbu
a) created the roles delicately.
b) was skilful in creating the characters.
c) pondered beyond necessity about the characters.
d) gave very little thought to the characters.
4. Pick the option that best describes Subbu according to the extract.
a) benevolent
b) powerful
c) accomplished
d) witty
e) generous
f) temperamental
a) d, e & f
b) b, c & d
c) a,c& e
d) c,d & e
5. ‘In any case, there was this man in the make-up department who would wish
the direst things for Subbu’. Here ‘direst things’ refers to something that is
a) urgent.
b) desperate.
c) disastrous.
d) dreadful.
6.Pick the quote which best describes Subbu’s role in Gemini Studios based on
the story.
1. Life’s too short to hang out with people who aren’t resourceful.
2. The more a person limits himself, the more resourceful he becomes.
3. Success is not about your resources. It’s about how resourceful you are
with what you have.
4. Resourcefulness: Seeing where you want to go and taking the first step.
a) Option 1
b) Option 2
c) Option 3
d) Option 4
7. ‘An extremely talented actress, who was also extremely temperamental, once
blew over on the sets’.
Pick the idiom that matches best with ‘blew over’.
a) At one’s wits end
b) Get bent out of shape
c) Have the blues
d) Experience pins and needles
8. ‘Often he looked alone and helpless- a man of cold logic in a crowd of
dreamers…’. It can be inferred that the man
a) rationalised every thought before it was spoken.
b) failed to consider human emotions and social dynamics.
c) was critical of what others did around him.
d) egoistic and always thought others lacked reason.
ANSWERS
1.(a)2 .(d) 3.(b) 4.(c) Q5.(d) 6 (c) 7. (b) 8. (b)
9.A girl from the countryside, she hadn’t gone through all the stages of worldly experience that generally precede a position of importance and sophistication that she had found herself catapulted into.
In the above line from 'Poets and Pancakes', the narrator is trying to say that the young actress was __________.
a. naive
b. arrogant
c. insignificant
d. sophisticated
10.The statement below from 'Poets and Pancakes' conveys the information in a __________ manner.
The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who became too big for a studio and left.
a. factual
b. sarcastic
c. humorous
d. derogatory
11. What does the line below from 'Poets and Pancakes' suggest about the author's interactions with his colleagues?
So anyone who felt I should be given some occupation would barge into my cubicle and deliver an extended lecture.
a.He felt forced into a one-way conversation with them.
b. He was offended by how little they valued his actual job.
c. He was overburdened by random types of work given by them.
d. He felt like he had a lot to learn from them before he got a real job.
12. What is the author's argument regarding prose writing in the following line from 'Poets and Pancakes'?
"The great prose-writers of the world may not admit it, but my conviction grows stronger day after day that prose writing is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius."
a. Prose writing is an art that depends on a moment of inspiration.
b. Prose writing requires a strong belief in one's own abilities.
c. Prose writing takes a lot of hard work and conscious effort.
d.Prose writing as a skill can only be mastered by a few.
13. The unintended consequence of the legal adviser's actions on the actor's career was:
a. The legal adviser quit his job
b. The actor's career ended abruptly
c. The Story Department was disbanded
14.How did the legal adviser stand out from the other members of the Story Department?
a. By wearing a uniform
b. By wearing khadi clothing
c. By wearing pants, tie, and sometimes a coat
d. By being a Gandhiites
15. Find the correct pair :
Subbu : Problem-solver :: Legal advisor : ______
a) Story writing
b) Film blocking
c) Silence
d) Negative guidance
16. MRA: Moral upliftment:: Gandhiji: ______
a) Panchayat system
b) Emotional speeches
c) Simple living & reform
d) Mystery
17. Assertion (A): The visit of the English poet left the people at Gemini Studios confused.
Reason (R): They could not understand his poetry or his purpose for visiting.
a) A and R true, R correct explanation
b) A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation
c) A true, R false
d) A false, R true
18. Assertion (A): The visit of the English poet left the people at Gemini Studios confused.
Reason (R): They could not understand his poetry or his purpose for visiting.
a) A and R true, R correct explanation
b) A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation
c) A true, R false
d) A false, R true
ANSWERS
9.naive 10. factual 11.He felt forced into a one-way conversation with them.
12 (c). Prose writing takes a lot of hard work and conscious effort. 13. (a) 14.c) 15.(d)
16.(c) 17.(a) 18. (d)
Read the extracts given below and answer the following questions:
19. Barring the office boys and a couple of clerks, everybody else at the Studios
radiated leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry. Most of them wore khadi and
worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that they had not the faintest appreciation for
political thought of any kind. Naturally, they were all averse to the term
‘Communism’. A communist was a godless man-he had no filial or conjugal
love; he had no compunction about killing his own parents or his children; he
was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and
ignorant people. Such notions, which prevailed everywhere else in South India
at that time also, naturally, floated about vaguely among the khadi-clad poets
of Gemini Studios. Evidence of it was soon forthcoming.
i Pick the option that uses the same figure of speech as ‘A communist is a
godless man.’
a) She is as determined as Gandhi when it is a fight against injustice.
b) She is a Gandhi when she raises her voice against ‘hinsa’ or violence.
c) She, like Gandhi, feels that the earth is crying for deliverance.
d) She lives a life of opulence and calls herself a follower of Gandhi.
ii Based on the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two
statements given below.
Statement 1: At Gemini Studios, the poets had a profound knowledge about
Communists.
Statement 2: Communists were responsible for anarchy and discontent in the
country.
a) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
b) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.
iii Why do you think leisure is a pre-requisite for poetry?
a) Poetry means freedom of expression.
b) One can enjoy poetry when there’s free time.
c) To write poetry, one needs free time.
d) Poetry means freedom from work.
iv Asokamitran says that leisure is a pre-requisite for poetry. He says this
because poets
a) need to relax for a period of time before composing lines.
b) maintain a leisured pace in all tasks they do.
c) are creative and need to have free time to weave their thoughts.
d) begin poetic compositions in rushed way and end in a relaxed manner.
v. Assertion (A): The studio poets believed that all communists were violent and immoral.
Reason (R): They had deeply studied the writings of communist leaders.
a) A true, R true and R is correct explanation
b) A true, R true but R is not explanation
c) A true, R false
d) A false, R true
vi. Which of the following best reflects the irony in the passage?
a) They were patriotic but antisocial
b) They wore khadi but didn’t understand Gandhian values
c) They opposed capitalism but loved luxury
d) They were communists secretly
20. A communist was a godless man—he had no filial or conjugal love; he had no
compunction about killing his own parents or his children; he was always out to
cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and ignorant people.”
i.The above description of a communist reflects:
a) Truth based on knowledge
b) Fear and misinformation
c) Documentary evidence
d) Political neutrality
ii.The tone of this line is:
a) Sarcastic
b) Humorous
c) Neutral
d) Admiring
iii.The word “filial” refers to:
a) Love for nature
b) Love of a child toward parents
c) Love of a citizen for the country
d) Romantic love
iv.The people at Gemini Studios believed communists were dangerous mainly because:
a) They had read communist literature
b) They experienced communist rule
c) They were influenced by rumours and myths
d) They supported capitalism
v.The phrase “no compunction about killing” reflects:
a) Compassionate behaviour
b) Ruthlessness attributed to communists
c) Real political ideology of communism
d) Judicial authority
vi. The narrator’s purpose in presenting this description is to:
a) Justify hatred toward communism
b) Expose the shallow understanding of the studio members
c) Teach communist principles
d) Promote political activism
ANSWERS
19.i.(b) ii. (d) iii. (c) iv. (c )v. (c) vi. (b)
20.i.b ii. (a) iii. (b ) iv. (c ) v. (b ) vi. (b)
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