Ch-6 POETS And PANCAKES

by Ashokamitran

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1. What does the writer mean by the fiery misery' of those subjected to make-up'?

Answer.

The heat produced by the lights in the make-up room brought about a lot of discomfort to the actors in the make-up room. Hence the writer refers to this pain and trouble as 'fiery misery'

Q2. What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?

Answer

The make-up division of the Gemini Studios was an example of national integration. According to the author, this is so because people from different regions and religious groups worked together in the same department. The department was headed by a Bengali who was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. The other helpers included a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo Burmese and the local Tamils

Q3. What work did the 'office boy do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he disappointed?

Answer.

The office boy applies make-up on the players who played the crowd. On the days of crowd shooting. he would mix his paint in a big vessel and apply it quickly and noisily on the faces of the players. He had joined the studios with the hope of becoming a star actor or a screen writer, director or lyrics writer. He was disappointed because he failed and remained only a boy!

Q4. Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?

Answer

The author's duty was to cut out newspaper clippings on a wide variety of subjects and store them in files. Many of these had to be written out in hand. The onlookers noticed him merely tearing up newspapers. Hence to them he seemed to be doing next to nothing

Q5. Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?

Answer.

The office boy was frustrated because despite getting a good opening, he remained only an office boy. He had a good formal education and would write poetry also. But his great literary talent was being allowed to go waste: He showed his anger on Kothamangalam Subbu, the No. 2 at Gemini Studios.

Q6. Who was Subbu's principal?

Answer

Mr. S.S Vasan, the founder of the Gemini Studios, was Subbu's principal.Subbu had a great loyalty to him. This made him identify himself with his principal completely. He turned his entire creativity to his principal’s advantage.

Q7. Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.

Answer

Four Special abilities of Subbu:

i)Subbu had the ability to look cheerful at all times.

(ii) His sense of loyalty made him turn his entire creativity to his principal's advantage Film-making was quite easy with Subbu around.

(iii) He was literary inclined too-a poet and novelist. He was an amazing actor

(iv) He had a charitable and loving nature.He was born a Brahmin. It is a virtue in itself.

(vi)He gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years.

Q8. Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?

Answer

The lawyer was in the Story Department. He was officially known as the legal adviser.

His job was to give support and advise on problems, but in fact he created problems. He brought the career of a brilliant actress to an end by terrorizing her. He was rightly called an illegal adviser.

Q9. What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?

Answer

The lawyer's dress that he wore made him stand out from the others. He wore a pant, a tie and sometimes a coat also. Others put on a khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt, which looked like everyone's uniform.He was a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers.

Q1O. Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?

Answer

Most of the people at Gemini Studios were followers of Gandhiji and wore khadi Beyond khadi and wearing of khadi they did not have any particular political affiliations.

They considered communists as heartless atheists who are devoid of emotions.However, they were all against communism.

Q11. Why was the MRA(Moral Rearmament Army) welcomed at the Studios?

Answer

The Moral Rearmament Army was a kind of counter movement to international communism. The Big Bosses of Madras like Mr. Vasan simply played into their hands.

MRA staged two plays ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’. Their high quality costumes and well made sets earned a lot of admiration.So the Moral Rearmament Army was welcomed at the Gemini Studios.

Q12. Name one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA

Answer

The plays staged by the MRA greatly influenced Madras and Tamil drama community. For some years almost all Tamil plays had a scene of sunrise and sunset in the manner of Jotham Valley' with a bare stage, a white background curtain and a tune played on the flute

Q13. What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?

Answer

Most of the 600 odd people at Gemini Studios were Tamil speakers. The Englishman was addressing them in his own language-English. He had a peculiar accent. Hence, there was a lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at who could not follow what he was saying.

Q14.Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios?

Answer

Kothamangalam Subbu succeeded in securing the place closest to The Boss by means of flattery. He was not brilliant but a rather cheerful person and exceedingly loyal to The Boss. He offered solutions whenever The Boss was in a fix. Thus, the other employees considered him No 2 in Gemini Studios

15. How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini

Studios?

Answer

The English poet was addressing the Tamil audience at Gemini Studios in English with a typical provincial accent. He was talking about the thrills and travails of an English poet to a dazed and silent audience. This was the incongruity because his audience could not understand him at all.

thrills and travails -painful or laborious effort.

Q16.Why is the Englishman's visit referred to as unexplained mystery?

Answer

The Englishman's visit to the Gemini Studios is referred to as an unexplained mystery because no one could decipher his identity, whether he was a poet or an editor. Besides, when he spoke no one at the studio understood what he intended to say as his accent was beyond their comprehension

17. Who was the English visitor to the studios?

Answer

The English visitor to the Gemini Studios was Stephen Spender. He was the editor of The Encounter,

a British Periodical, and a famous English poet, essayist and novelist of the twentieth century.

Q18. How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was?

Answer

Before investing money in participating in a short story contest organised by an English periodical The Encounter, the author did a research on the magazine. He went to the British Council Library where while going through an issue of that periodical, he discovered that its editor was Stephen Spender, the poet that had once visited the studio

Q19. What does The God that Failed' refer to?

Answer

The God That Failed' was a compilation of six essays written by six eminent writers, namely, Andre Gide, Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender. In each of the essays, the respective writers described their journeys into Communism and their disillusioned return..

Important Links

The Enemy Question Answer

https://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-enemy-question-answer-12th-english.html

The Interview

https://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-interview-question-answer.html

Ch-5 INDIGO QUESTION ANSWER

https://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2025/03/indigo-question-answer-12th-english.html

Going Place Questions and answers

https://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2025/02/going-places-question-answer-12th.html

Ch-4 The Rattrap Question Answer

https://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-rattrap-12th-english-question-answer.html

Ch-6 On The Face Of It Question Answer