CBSE Class 12 English Poets And Pancakes Worksheet Set C

Short Answer Questions

Question. Why does the author mention the names of four heroines? What does he want to emphasize by singling out one of them?
Answer. The author mentions Greta Garbo, Miss Gohar and Vyjayantimala, the top heroines in 1950’s and 1960’s, who must have used pancake— thick make-up for the face. Rati Agnihotri, who came in the eighties may not have even heard of it. He wants to emphasize that he is talking of the early 1950s.

Question. What purpose does the description of the location of the make-up department and interior of the make-up room of Gemini Studios serve?
Answer. The make-up department of the Gemini Studios was on the upper floor of a building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables. The make-up room had the look of a hair cutting salon with lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. This reflects the poor working conditions as compared to the facilities available in modern air conditioned make-up rooms.

Question. “A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up department.” Explain.
Answer. The chief make-up man attended to the chief actors and actresses, his senior assistant the ‘second’ hero and heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian, and so forth. The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy.

Question. What explanation does Asokamitran offer for the practice of the make-up men who could ‘turn any decent–looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster’ ?
Answer. Ashokamitran explains that those were the days of mainly indoor shooting. Then he makes a humorous remark. The sets and studio lights needed the girls and boys to be made to look ugly in order to look presentable in the movie.

Question. “Soon I was praying for crowd-shooting all the time.” What forced Ashokamitran to make this remark?
Answer. The ‘boy’ in the make-up department would barge into Ashokamitran’s cubicle to enlighten him on how great literary talent was being allowed to go waste in a department fit only for barbers and perverts. The author felt sick of his ‘epics’ and prayed that he remained busy with making-up players for the crowd scenes.

Question. What general observation does the author make about the behaviour of the frustrated people and why?
Answer. The author says that a frustrated person always directs his anger towards a single person openly or covertly. He does so to explain the conduct of the ‘boy’ in make-up department towards Subbu as the former held the latter responsible for all his woes, ignominy and neglect.

Question. ‘Here was a man who could be inspired when commanded.’ What example is given to illustrate it and what does it highlight?
Answer. The producer would ask Subbu how to do the scene of the rat, who has fought the tigress underwater and killed her, tending her offsprings lovingly. This is a ludicrous situation, but Subbu felt inspired and would suggest four ways of the rat pouring affection on its victim’s offsprings. When asked about the effectiveness of the scene, Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives.

Question. Why does Asokamitran call Subbu “a charitable and improvident man” ?
Answer. Subbu had a genuine love for anyone he came across. His house was a permanent residence for dozens of near and far relations and acquaintances. Subbu was not even conscious that he was feeding and supporting so many of them. Hence the writer calls Subbu ‘a charitable and an improvident man.’

Question. What explanation does the author offer for Subbu having enemies?
Answer. The author suggests that it might be because of his intimacy with the Boss or because his general demeanour resembled that of a sycophant. It may have been due to his readiness to say nice things about everything.

Question. What did the lawyer do when an extremely talented but temperamental actress once blew over the sets? What was its result?
Answer. The lawyer quietly switched on the recording equipment. When the actress paused for breath, he played back the recording. She was struck dumb on hearing her own voice. She never quite recovered from the terror she felt that day. It marked the end of a brief and brilliant acting career.

Question. What made the lawyer lose his job? What does the writer find so funny about the situation?
Answer. One day the Boss closed down the Story Department. As a result, the lawyer, who was on the attendance rolls of the Story Department, lost his job along with other writers and poets. The writer calls its “the only instance in all human history where a lawyer lost his job because the poets were asked to go home.”

Question. What does Asokamitran consider a prerequisite for poetry? What evidence do you find of its existence at the Gemini Studios?
Answer. According to Asokamitran, leisure is a prerequisite for poetry. The Gemini Studio had a relaxed and leisurely atmosphere. It was the favourite haunt of many distinguished poets, who met over a cup of coffee.

Question. They were all averse to the term ‘Communism’.What notion prevailed in South India about Communists at that time?
Answer. A communist was regarded as a Godless man. He had no love for children or his wife. He had no pricking of conscience about killing his own parents or his children. He was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and ignorant people.

Question. What notion was in the air about the Moral- Rearmament Army? How did it prove absurd? What did the author learn later about the MRA?
Answer. Someone called this two hundred strong group an international circus. This description was absurd. First, they were not very good on the trapeze. Secondly, their acquaintance with animals was only at the dinner table. Some years later, the author learnt that the MRA was a kind of counter movement to international communism.

Question. How did the people of Madras and those at the Gemini Studios respond to the plays staged by the Moral Rearmament Army?
Answer. The people of Madras and those at the Gemini Studios were ‘terribly’ impressed. Their two plays ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ ran for several shows. The Gemini family of six hundred saw the plays over and over again along with the other citizens. For some years almost all Tamil plays presented the scene of sunrise and sunset in the manner of ‘Jotham Valley.’

Question. How did the staff of Gemini Studios react to the MRA’s arrival?
Answer. The staff had a nice time hosting two hundred people of all hues and sizes of at least twenty nationalities. The author found it a pleasant change from the usual collection of crowd players waiting to be slapped with thick layers of make-up by the office-boy in the make-up department.

Question. What was the suspense about “another visitor” Gemini Studios was to welcome?
Answer. It was said that the visitor was a poet from England. The staff was eager to know about the poet. It was then said that he was not a poet but an editor. Vasan, the Boss, being the editor of the popular Tamil weekly ‘Ananda Vikatan’ was giving him a big reception. Thus there was a suspense about the visitor.

Question. What do you learn about the literary taste of the staff of Gemini Studio as for English poetry was concerned?
Answer. The staff at Gemini Studios was quite simple. The only English poets they knew or heard of were Wordsworth and Tennyson. The more literate ones knew of Keats, Shelley and Byron. One or two might have come to know about Eliot.

Question. What did even “the most well-informed” among the staff come to know about the visiting poet?
Answer. The surmise was that the poet was the editor of a daily. It was fuelled by the fact that top men of ‘The Hindu’ were taking the initiative. Even the most well informed among the staff came to know that he was not from ‘The Manchester Guardian’ or the ‘London Times.’

Question. ‘Prose-writing is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius.’ Who does the author think it fit for and why?
Answer. The author thinks that prose-writing is for the patient, persistent, persevering hard worker. His heart is so shrunken that nothing can break it. Rejection slips do not mean anything to him. He at once sets about making a fresh copy of the long prose piece. Then, he sends it to another editor. He encloses postage for the return of the manuscript. He regards it a boring, tiring and hard work.

Question. What kind of effect does Asokamitran’s style of writing have on the reader?
Answer. Ashokamitran has used gentle humour to highlight the weaknesses and eccentricity of the people at the Gemini Studio. This creates an interesting picture of the people involved with film making there and the way films were made as compared to the films made in modern times.

Question. Discuss the significance of the make-up room in the chapter, ‘Poets and Pancakes’.
Answer. The make up room symbolized true national integration with people from all over the country working together in harmony to cover the actors with make-up. It was also a place where a clear hierarchy was maintained in the manner the make-up was done to cover the actors. The chief make-up man only applied make-up on the lead actors; the senior assistant took care of the second lead; the junior assistant dealt with the comedian while the actors in the crowd were taken care of by the ‘office boy’.

Question. ‘In all instances of frustration, you will always find the anger directed towards a single person openly or covertly...’
Do you think it is right to direct our anger towards someone who is not responsible for the cause of anger? Justify.
Answer. The answer can be answered in both ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ with justification
No, I don’t feel it is correct to express one‘s anger at someone who has not harmed you in anyway because that person is often unaware of the reason for your anger. For example Subbu had not directly pushed ahead of the office boy but had been promoted by the owner by virtue of Subbu being a Brahmin. Moreover Subbu was also very hard working, creative and resourceful apart from being a good writer. All reasons why he deserved to move ahead at the studio.
Yes, because it is very upsetting to see someone else go ahead of you especially if you think you are more deserving. The office boy had been an old hand at the studio but he had not been promoted yet Subbu went ahead just because he was a Brahmin.

Question. The people left in ‘utter bafflement’ after the English poet’s speech. Mention two things the speaker could have kept in mind before addressing an audience to avoid such a reaction: Give your rationale for it.
Answer. The speaker could have talked about his interest and experience with Communism. Also an interpreter would have made it easier for the audience to understand what he was saying as the former did not understand English.

Long Answer Questions

Question. The ‘Office-boy’ in the make-up department of Gemini Studios has the shades of a typical universal character lured by glitter and glamour and doomed to frustation. Discuss.
Or
Attempt a pen-portrait of the ‘office-boy’ highlighting his aspirations, odd jobs and disillusionment as well as his universal dimensions.
Answer. The ‘office-boy’ wasn’t exactly a ‘boy’; he was in his early forties. He had entered the studios years ago. He had hoped to become a star actor, a top screen writer, director or lyrics writer. At present he had to slap paint on the faces of the players who played the crowd. He closed every pore on the surface of the face by applying make-up. He felt dissatisfied and disillusioned. He considered the make-up department fits only for barbers and perverts. He felt frustrated that his great literary talent was being allowed to go waste. He was a bit of poet too. He had got good formal education and had an encouraging opening in films.
However, in spite of his start, he did not advance an inch from his position as ‘officeboy’. He has shades of universal characters. He is typical specimen representing the youth lured by glitter and glamour of films, struggling hard to make a name and then doomed to frustration.

Question. How would you describe Subbu a trouble shooter or a sycophant?
Or
Give an estimate of Subbu’s qualities of head
and heart and the reasons for his success.
Answer. Kothamangalam Subbu was the No. 2 at Gemini Studios. Though officially on the rolls of Story Department, he was always with the Boss. He had the ability to look cheerful at all times. His sense of loyalty made him identify himself with his principal completely. He turned his entire creativity to his advantage. He was tailor-made for films. Film making was quite easy with Subbu around. He could suggest many alternatives to baffled producers. He could be inspired when commanded. He had a literary bent of mind too. He was a poet and had composed several original ‘story poems’. He had also written a novel. His success in films overshadowed and dwarfed his literary achievements. He was an amazing actor also, but confined himself to playing supporting roles. He loved whosoever he met. He was charitable and improvident and played permanent host to dozens of persons. His success was envied by frustrated people like the ‘office-boy’.

Question. Narrate the incident in which the legal adviser was instrumental in causing the end of a brief and brilliant acting career.
Answer. Gemini Studios had an extremely talented actress. She was also extremely temperamental. Once she blew over on the sets and gave vent to her feelings against the producer. Every-body was stunned. The lawyer quietly switched on the recording equipment. When the actress paused for breath, the lawyer played back the recording. There was nothing incriminating or unmentionably foul in the actress’s tirade against the producer. But she was struck dumb on hearing her voice again though the sound equipment. She was a girl from the countryside and raw and immature at worldly affairs. She lacked wordly experience and sophistication that persons in position of importance generally acquire. The result was that she never quite recovered from the terror she felt that day. This is how a brief and brilliant acting career had unwittingly been brought to a sad end by the legal adviser.

Question. Narrate how the Moral Re-Armament army was welcomed at the Gemini Studios. What impact did the MRA have on people of Madras in general and those at Gemini Studios in particular?
Answer. The staff of Gemini Studios had a nice time hosting two hundred strong Moral Re- Armament army led by Frank Buchman. In fact, MRA could not have found a warmer host in India than the Gemini Studios. They presented two plays—‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ in a most professional manner. The message of the plays were usually plain and simple homilies, but the sets and costumes were first rate. These plays ran several shows in Madras. The citizens of the city and Gemini family of 600 saw the plays over and over again.
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. This was the impact of the plays staged by the MRA on Madras in general and the Tamil drama community in particular.

Question. “In a moment I felt a dark chamber of my mind lit up by a hazy illumination.” Which incident is being referred to by the author, Asokamitran? What conclusion does he arrive at?
Answer. An English poet (or editor) had been invited to Gemini Studios. He addressed a dazed and silent audience for an hour about the thrills and travails of an English poet. His accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying. The audience felt baffled— what was an English poet doing in a studio making Tamil films? His visit remained an unexplained mystery.
Years later, the author read the editor’s name on the magazine ‘The Encounter’. He also came across copies of ‘The God that Failed’—a collection of six essays against communism. One of the six contributors was Stephen Spender. He was the poet that came to Gemini Studios. Suddenly the book assumed tremendous significance. The dark chambers of his mind were illuminated. The reaction to Stephen Spender at Gemini Studios was no longer a mystery. The Boss may not be concerned with Spender’s poetry, but he was aware of the god that failed.

Question. How does humour and satire enliven the account of the events and personalities at Gemini Studios as portrayed by Asokamitran in ‘Poets and Pancakes’ ?
Answer. Ashokamitran uses gentle humour and mild satire to make his account interesting and readable. He uses a rambling and chatty style, making transitions from one thought to another and thus preparing us for a gentle tickle as he moves on to the next item. For example, he makes fun of the make-up applied to artists which can change any decent-looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster. The explanation is equally laughter provoking— the sets and studio lights needed the girls and boys to be made to look ugly in order to look presentable in the movie. The portraits of the “office-boy” of make-up department, Subbu the No. 2 and the legal adviser have many deft touches of humour. The purpose of the visits of the Moral Re-Armament army and that of the English poet (or editor) is beyond the comprehension of even the most enlightened ones like the author. The baffled reaction of the Gemini Studios staff arouses humour. The mild satire is also directed at people who are averse to communism and go to any length to oppose it.

Question. Imagine Asokamitran witnesses a film shooting and visits a film set of present day Bollywood.
As Asokamitran write a diary entry penning down the transformation you notice between film making of yesteryears and today.
Answer. Film making has changed drastically in the last few decades. The actors no longer have to sweat it our in hot furnace like make-up rooms of the past. They now have fancy, luxurious, air-conditioned vanity vans where they can prepare for their shoots in privacy. The makeup artists are educated, skilful and trained and their make-up no longer makes them look horrendous but actually enhances their beauty and makes them look much better and glamorous than their real selves.
The art of film making has undergone a lot of change. Real animals have been replaced by computer graphics and a lot of the visuals are created by computers and technology. The directors are educated and trained and every aspect of film making is meticulously planned before execution. The days of a proprietor owned studio has almost been replaced by production houses who seen the show.

Question. After reading this story, you are impressed by the author’s use of gentle humour to point out human foibles. Evaluate whether using such humour contributes towards bringing about change in people’s attitude and accepting their foibles.
Answer. Humour always succeeds where critical remarks fail. Humour helps make light of weakness of character or something wrong with society. The text highlights the weakneses prevalent in the film making process in the past. The loud make-up that made the actors look ugly to the manner in which films were made without proper planning and with spontaneous ideas generated on the sets all point to the flaws in the system. By pointing out these flaws, the writer points to the area requiring attention.

1. Notice these words and expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.
Blew over: Give a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation
Was struck dumb: Render speechless, as by surprise or shock
Catapulted into: To shoot forth or launch
A coat of mail: An armoured coat made of chain mail, interlinked rings, or overlapping metal plates
Played into their hands: To act or behave so as to give an advantage to (an opponent).
The favourite haunt: A frequently visited place
Heard a bell ringing: Stirring an often indistinct memory

Question. 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’.

Question. 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.

Question. 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’.

Question. 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.

Question. 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 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.

Question. Who was Subbu’s principal?
Answer. Mr. S.S Vasan, the founder of the Gemini Studios, was Subbu’s principal.

Question. 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: Filmmaking 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.

Question. 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. However, his actions did nobody any good. He had unwittingly brought to an end the career of a promising young actress. Hence he was referred to as the opposite by others.
5. 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.

Question. 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. However, they were all against communism.

Question. Why was the 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. So the Moral Rearmament Army was welcomed at the Gemini Studios.

Question. 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.

Question. Who was the Boss of Gemini Studios?
Answer. Mr. S.S Vasan was the Boss of Gemini Studios.

Question. 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.

Question. 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.

Question. 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.

Question. 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.

Question. 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”.

Question. The author has used gentle humour to point out human foibles. Pick out instances of this to show how this serves to make the piece interesting.
Answer. The instances of humour, used by the author, mark the eccentricities and idiosyncrasies without making any direct and rude comment on anybody. For instance, the author portrays the make-up artists and the usage of the pancakes in an interesting way. Even the caricature of Subbu is hilarious. The way he tries to help his principal by offering quick solutions to his problems is quite amusing. The episode of the legal adviser that inadvertently causes the end of an actress’s career is yet another example. The frustration of the office boy, the superficial praising of Gandhi, hatred of Communism and the ‘mystery’ surrounding Stephen Spender are some of the instances where the author has incorporated gentle humour.

Question. 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.

Question. 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.

Question. What do you understand about the author’s literary inclinations from the account?
Answer. The writer was a prose-writer. He wanted to send a short story for the short story contest organized by a British periodical by the name 'The Encounter'.

Talking about the Text
Discuss in small groups taking off from points in the text.
1. Film-production today has come a long way from the early days of the Gemini Studios.
2. Poetry and films.
3. Humour and criticism.
Answer. 1. Film production is more technical nowadays. While earlier only five per cent of the shooting was done outdoors, nowadays outdoor shooting is no more limited to such a negligible percentage. The cameras and other equipments are more advanced allowing for more varied and accurate presentation.
The quality of make-up has improved many folds from the days of the Gemini Studios where only pancake was used. The people involved in various departments are experts in their specialized work, be it the director, producer, scriptwriter, lyricist or the actors. The overall
quality of the films is more striking and lively.
2. In India poetry and films are intricately linked. The people at Gemini Studios, all claimed to have the talents of a poet. The main reason behind it was their monotonous and leisurely life at the studios. However, these people were not knowledgeable or educated enough to be poets. Unlike poetry, films can be enjoyed by people with little resources who cannot afford to cultivate taste for poetry and literature.
3. The story is interspersed with instances dipped in subtle humour. The humorous instances, however, make interesting and relevant comments on the behavior of general people. A humorous story has more readers, a humorous film more viewers. This is because they provide entertainment and a respite from the tedious existence. Criticism by means of humour is more effective, hence writers and film-makers often use humorous elements in their works and make sarcastic comments and criticism.