Poets and Pancakes

Asokamitran’s Poets and Pancakes is an autobiographical piece describing his experiences at Gemini Studios, one of India’s most influential film companies. The essay humorously portrays the functioning of the studio, its characters, and its connection with politics and literature.

The title comes from “Pancake,” the brand of make-up material used in abundance at the studio. The make-up room, housed in a building once Robert Clive’s stables, was staffed by men from different regions, reflecting national integration. Their task was to plaster actors with pancake, often making them look grotesque. The office boy, disappointed with his minor role, blamed Subbu, the No. 2 at Gemini Studios, for his failures.

Kothamangalam Subbu emerges as a many-sided genius — poet, actor, screenplay writer, and novelist. His loyalty to the Boss, S.S. Vasan, and his creativity made him indispensable. Yet, his sycophantic demeanour earned him enemies. Another character, the legal adviser, ironically ruined an actress’s career by recording her angry outburst and playing it back to her.

The story department, filled with poets and dreamers, spent more time discussing than writing. Most wore khadi and followed Gandhi but lacked deeper political awareness. They despised Communism, influenced by rumours of its violence. When Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament Army visited, their professional plays greatly impressed the studio, influencing Tamil theatre for years.

Later, an English visitor, Stephen Spender, delivered a baffling lecture. The studio staff, unfamiliar with English poetry and unable to follow his accent, found it meaningless. For years, the visit remained a mystery until the author discovered Spender’s connection with Encounter magazine and the book The God That Failed.

The essay blends humour, satire, and nostalgia. It captures the contradictions of a film studio where barbers became make-up men, poets became scriptwriters, and a lawyer lost his job because the poets were dismissed. Asokamitran portrays human weaknesses with gentle humour, making the narrative engaging while providing insights into the film industry of the 1940s–50s.

Ultimately, Poets and Pancakes is not only about films but also about creativity, disillusionment, and the absurdities of life. It reflects how literature, politics, and cinema intertwined in unexpected ways in India’s cultural history.

Word Count: ~503

Chapter 6: Poets and Pancakes – Asokamitran

NCERT SOLUTION

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Page 58 – Comprehension Check

Q1. What does the writer mean by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make-up’?
Answer:
The make-up was done under blazing incandescent lights that generated extreme heat. The actors had to endure this heat, which made the process miserable.

Q2. What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
Answer:
The make-up department was staffed by people from various regions — Bengali, Maharashtrian, Kannadiga, Andhra, Madras Indian Christian, Anglo-Burmese, and Tamils. This reflected national integration even before it became a popular concept.

Q3. What work did the ‘office boy’ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he disappointed?
Answer:
He applied make-up to crowd actors. He had joined the studios with the dream of becoming a star, director, or writer. He was disappointed because he remained stuck in a lowly job, his creative ambitions unfulfilled.

Q4. Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?
Answer:
The author’s job was clipping newspapers and filing them. This seemed trivial and unimportant, so others thought he was idle.

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Page 60 – Comprehension Check

Q1. Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?
Answer:
He was frustrated with his unimportant work and lack of recognition. He vented his anger on Subbu, blaming him for his failures.

Q2. Who was Subbu’s principal?
Answer:
His principal was the Boss of Gemini Studios, S.S. Vasan.

Q3. Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.
Answer:

• He was an excellent poet and wrote story-poems.

• He was a brilliant actor in supporting roles.

• He wrote screenplays and provided innovative story ideas.

• He authored novels like Thillana Mohanambal and had a charitable, generous nature.

Q4. Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?
Answer:
He was supposed to protect others, but his act of recording a quarrelling actress destroyed her career. Hence, he was ironically called the opposite.

Q5. What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
He wore western attire (pants, tie, coat), unlike others in khadi dhotis. He looked cold, logical, and isolated among dreamers.

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Page 62 – Comprehension Check

Q1. Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?
Answer:
Most were Gandhiites, wore khadi, and opposed Communism. Their political views were vague and superficial.

Q2. Why was the Moral Re-Armament Army welcomed at the Studios?
Answer:
Because the Gemini Studios admired their professionalism in plays and their message of peace and morality.

Q3. Name one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA.
Answer:
After seeing Jotham Valley, many Tamil plays copied its sunrise and sunset scenes with bare stages, white curtains, and flute music.

Q4. Who was The Boss of Gemini Studios?
Answer:
S.S. Vasan.

Q5. What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
His unfamiliar accent, the abstract nature of his talk, and the audience’s lack of knowledge about English poetry created a communication gap.

Q6. Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as an unexplained mystery?
Answer:
No one knew why an English poet was invited to a Tamil film studio. His lecture was irrelevant and incomprehensible.

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Page 63 – Comprehension Check

Q1. Who was the English visitor to the studios?
Answer:
The English visitor was Stephen Spender, a poet and editor of the magazine Encounter.

Q2. How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was?
Answer:
Years later, he saw Spender’s name in The Encounter magazine and also in the book The God That Failed.

Q3. What does The God That Failed refer to?
Answer:
It is a book with essays by six writers, including Spender, describing their disillusionment with Communism.

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Page 64 – Understanding the Text

Q1. The author has used gentle humour to point out human foibles. Pick out instances.
Answer:

• The make-up men turning actors into “crimson-hued monsters.”

• The office boy’s frustration and misplaced anger.

• The poets lounging around in khadi with no political understanding.

• The baffling visit of Stephen Spender.
  This humour makes the narrative lively and satirical.

Q2. Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Because he was multi-talented, loyal to the Boss, provided creative ideas, wrote stories and poems, acted brilliantly, and supported many dependents.

Q3. How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The simple Tamil film workers had no exposure to English poetry. Spender’s abstract lecture in a foreign accent was meaningless to them, creating absurdity.

Q4. What do you understand about the author’s literary inclinations from the account?
Answer:
He was observant, critical, and interested in literature beyond films. His curiosity led him to libraries, books, and periodicals. He later became a successful writer.

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Page 64–65 – Talking about the Text

• Film production today is advanced with modern technology, unlike the simple setups of Gemini Studios.

• Poetry and films both reflect creativity, but films are collective, while poetry is individual.

• Humour and criticism, when combined, highlight truths without bitterness, as Asokamitran’s style shows.