CBSE Class 12 English Poets And Pancakes Notes Set 03

‘Poets and Pancakes’ by Asokamitran

Theme: An account of the events and personalities in a film company in the early days of Indian cinema.
Sub Theme: Poets and writers in a film company environment.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Complete the crossword with the following hints:

Across
2. Name of a make-up brand
6. Confusion
8. Lines that are repeated in poetry
10. The style of enunciation in speaking or singing; articulation
12. Flatterer
13. Red-hot; scorching
14. Skilfully
15. Perfect

Down
1. Someone who doesn't plan his expenses
3. Deep red colour
4. A liquid mixture
5. Spreading over a large area, detailed
7. Struggles
9. extremely ugly
11. Emitting light as a result of being heated; burning

Literary Devices

• Gentle Humour & Satire: Asokamitran uses gentle humour to highlight human foibles, such as the strict hierarchy in the makeup department and the office boy’s dreams. The satirical tone uses wit to highlight eccentricities without being rude.
• Symbolism: The term “Pancake” refers to a makeup material used in large quantities, symbolizing the glamour and illusions of the film industry, reminiscent of Hollywood.
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the makeup room with lights at all angles create a “fiery misery.” The diverse makeup team adds rich imagery to the bustling studio.
• Metaphor: The makeup process, closing every pore on the face, is a metaphor for the surface-level transformations and artifice of actors.
• Alliteration: The phrase “makeup man made the chief actors and actresses ugly” emphasizes the contrast between on-screen beauty and off-screen reality.
• Antithesis: “A man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers” juxtaposes rational nature with the imaginative nature of others.
• Hyperbole: Calling a middle-aged man an “office boy” adds humor and emphasizes his stagnation.
• Synecdoche: “Coat of mail” refers to the entire suit of armor by mentioning one part.

Word-Meanings

• Pancakes: A make-up brand Gemini Studios used in large amounts.
• Blew over: To pass by or to end; can also mean a long angry speech.
• Was struck dumb: Render speechless by surprise or shock.
• Catapulted into: To launch or move suddenly at great speed.
• A coat of mail: An armored coat made of interlinked rings or metal plates.
• Played into their hands: To act so as to give an advantage to an opponent.
• Heard a bell ringing: Stirring an often-indistinct memory.
• Incandescent: Emitting light as a result of being heated.
• Fiery: Red-hot; scorching.
• Hideous: Extremely ugly.
• French window: Glazed doors in an outside wall serving as both window and door.
• Perverts: A person whose behaviour is regarded as abnormal.
• Covertly: Secretly.
• Ignominy: Public shame or disgrace.
• Tailor-made: Perfect, ideal.
• Diction: The style of enunciation in speaking or singing.
• Sprawling: Spreading over a large area, detailed.
• Improvident: A person who does not plan expenses and wastes money.
• Sycophant: A flatterer; one who acts excessively obedient towards important people.
• Direst: Terrible.
• Temperamental: Liable to unreasonable changes of mood.
• Incriminating: Making someone appear guilty of a crime.
• Tirade: Outburst, lecture.
• Trapeze: A horizontal bar used by acrobats.
• Homilies: Sermon; lecture.
• Filial: Relating to a son or daughter; loving, devoted.
• Conjugal: Marital.
• Compunction: A feeling of regret, guilt or shame.
• Bafflement: Perplexity, confusion.
• Averse: Hostile, loath/dislike.
• Surmise: Guesswork, inference.
• Incongruity: Strangeness, absurdity, oddness.
• Drudge: A person made to do hard menial or dull work.
• Travails: Efforts, struggles, hardships.

Lesson at a Glance

Make-up Department

• Pancake: Brand name of material bought in truckloads; used to turn artists into "hideous monsters."
• Make-up Room: Located in Robert Clive’s former stable; incandescent lights caused intense heat ("fiery misery").
• National Integration: The department featured a diverse team (Bengali, Maharashtrian, Kannadiga, Andhrite, Christian, Anglo-Burmese, and Tamils).
• Hierarchy: Chief make-up man for leads, assistants for supporting actors/comedians, and the "Office Boy" for crowd scenes.
• Office Boy: A frustrated man in his forties who wanted to be an artist/director but blames Subbu for his failure.

Story Department

• Kothamangalam Subbu: No. 2 at Gemini Studios; loyal, creative, and "tailor-made for films." A talented poet and actor who was charitable but had enemies.
• Legal Adviser: A lawyer in the Story Department who wore formal clothes (pants, tie) unlike others in khadi. Known for "cold logic" and once ended an actress's career unwittingly.
• Author (Asokamitran): Occupied a cubicle, collected newspaper clippings, and was often the target of the Office Boy's long complaints.

MRA - Moral Re-Armament Army

• Visited in 1952; a counter-movement to international communism.
• Presented plays like Jotham Valley and The Forgotten Factor with first-rate sets and costumes.
• Influenced Tamil drama scenes, especially sunrise/sunset depictions.

Stephen Spender

• An English poet whose visit remained a mystery due to his accent and unknown purpose.
• Mystery solved years later when Asokamitran found his name as editor of The Encounter and an essayist in The God That Failed.

Extract based Questions

Gemini Studios was the favourite haunt of poets like S.D.S. Yogiar, Sangu Subramanyam, Krishna Sastry and Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. It had an excellent mess which supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the night. Those were the days when Congress rule meant Prohibition and meeting over a cup of coffee was rather a satisfying entertainment. 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 Gandhi but beyond that they had not the faintest appreciation for political thought of any kind.

(i) Why did all the four poets mentioned above gathered at the Gemini Studios?
Answer: All the four poets gathered at Gemini Studios because it was an excellent place for discussion and they felt relaxed gathering there.

(ii) The mess at Gemini Studios...
Answer: supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the night.

(iii) The ‘Congress rule’ those days meant...
Answer: 'Prohibition'.

(iv) Why was leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry?
Answer: Leisure was a pre-requisite for poetry because on the pretext of creating a poetic atmosphere, the entire staff except the office boys or the clerks enjoyed leisure doing nothing.

(v) Which of the following statements is not TRUE in the context of the above extract?
(a) Gemini Studios had an excellent mess which supplied good coffee.
(b) Most of the people at Gemini Studios wore khadi and worshipped Gandhi.
(c) Prohibition meant meeting over a cup of coffee with entertainment.
(d) They had not the faintest appreciation for any kind of political thoughts.
Answer: (c) Prohibition meant meeting over a cup of coffee with entertainment.

(vi) Find a word from the extract which means same as ‘Meeting place’.
Answer: Haunt

Practice Questions: Extract Based

Even in the matter of education, especially formal education, Subbu couldn’t have had an appreciable lead over our boy. But by virtue of being born a Brahmin-a virtue, indeed! He must have had exposure to more affluent situations and people. He had the ability to look cheerful at all times even after having had a hand in a flop film. He always had work for somebody – he could never do things on his own – but his sense of loyalty made him identify himself with his Principal’s advantage. He was tailor-made for films. Here was a man who could be inspired when commanded.

(i) Subbu’s position in Gemini Studios was...
Answer: Number 2 (next only to the Boss, Mr. S. S. Vasan).

(ii) What do you infer from ‘our boy’?
Answer: It refers to the "Office Boy" in the makeup department who was in his forties and frustrated with his career.

(iii) Subbu was given importance in the Gemini Studios because:
(a) Subbu was highly educated.
(b) He was a Brahmin by virtue of his birth.
(c) He had the ability to look cheerful.
(d) He always had work for somebody.
Answer: (b) He was a Brahmin by virtue of his birth.

(iv) Choose the option which does not convey the same meaning as the phrase ‘tailor-made’ used in the extract.
(a) The company primarily concentrates on developing tailor-made products for investors and borrowers.
(b) It is a job that appears almost tailor-made for her.
(c) The cap fits so well that it feels like it was tailor-made for me.
(d) His tailor-made statements did not strike anyone’s attention in the meeting.
Answer: (d) His tailor-made statements did not strike anyone’s attention in the meeting.

(v) Find a word from the above extract which conveys the same meaning as ‘wealthy/ prosperous’.
Answer: Affluent

He had a genuine love for anyone he came across and his house was a permanent residence for dozens of near and far relations and acquaintances. It seemed against Subbu’s nature to be even conscious that he was feeding and supporting so many of them. Such a charitable and improvident man, and yet he had enemies! Was it because he seemed so close and intimate with the Boss? Or was it his general demeaner that resembled a sycophant’s? Or his readiness to say nice things about everything? In any case, there was this man in the make-up department who would wish the direst things for Subbu.

(i) Who were the people Subbu fed and supported?
Answer: Dozens of near and far relations and acquaintances.

(ii) Subbu was close and intimate with the Boss because:
(a) Subbu’s readiness to say nice things about everything.
(b) His house was a permanent residence for dozens of people.
(c) He had a sense of loyalty to work according to his Boss’ advantage.
(d) Subbu was a sycophant.
Answer: (c) He had a sense of loyalty to work according to his Boss’ advantage.

(iii) ‘Charity and generosity were part of Subbu’s character.’ Explain briefly.
Answer: Subbu's home was a permanent residence for many relatives. He fed and supported them without being conscious of it, showing his selfless and charitable nature.

(iv) Complete the given analogy: Improvident: Imprudent :: Direst: -----------------
Answer: Terrible

(v) Choose the best option from the given ones which conveys the same meaning as ‘sycophant’ used in the extract.
(a) My sister is a sycophant who won’t flatter anyone for benefits.
(b) The rapper’s assistant was a sycophant who often criticized his boss.
(c) It helps to be a sycophant if you want to excel in politics.
(d) Everyone knows a sycophant is nothing but a “no” man.
Answer: (c) It helps to be a sycophant if you want to excel in politics.

(vi) ‘Such a charitable and improvident man, and yet he had enemies!’ What do you infer from the above statement?
Answer: It suggests that even good people can have enemies, often due to jealousy over their proximity to power (the Boss) or their seemingly over-compliant demeanor.

When Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament army, some two hundred strong, visited Madras sometime in 1952, they couldn’t have found a warmer host in India than the Gemini Studios. Someone called the group an international circus. They weren’t very good on the trapeze, and their acquaintance with animals was only at the dinner table, but they presented two plays in a most professional manner. Their ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ ran several shows in Madras and along with the other citizens of the city, the Gemini family of six hundred saw the plays over and over again. The message of the plays were usually plain and simple homilies, but the set and costumes were first-rate.

(i) ‘They’ here refers to...
Answer: Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament army (MRA).

(ii) What was the purpose of ‘MRA’s’ visit to the Gemini Studios?
Answer: To present their plays and spread their anti-communist message as a counter-movement to international communism.

(iii) ‘They weren’t very good on the trapeze, their acquaintance with animals was only at the dinner table.’ What do you infer from the above statement?
Answer: It is a humorous way of saying they were not a literal circus despite being called one; their skills were in theatrical presentation, not circus acts.

(iv) The MRA presented two plays ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’. How did it impact the Tamil Drama Community?
(a) The plays ran several shows in Madras in local language.
(b) They continued to imitate the scenes of sunrise and sunset, sets and costumes.
(c) It was presented in the most professional manner.
(d) Their expertise on the trapeze and the dinner table won everyone’s heart.
Answer: (b) They continued to imitate the scenes of sunrise and sunset, sets and costumes.

(v) Which of the following does not convey the same meaning as ‘homilies’ as used in the extract?
(a) Discourse
(b) Profundity
(c) Sermons
(d) Preachings
Answer: (b) Profundity

(vi) The MRA was described as a group of an international circus because:
Answer: they were a large group of 200 people from 20 different nations traveling together, much like a circus troupe.

That was the end of a brief and brilliant acting career — the legal adviser, who was also a member of the Story Department, had unwittingly brought about that sad end. While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform — khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt — the legal adviser wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often, he looked alone and helpless — a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers — a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites and Khadiites. Like so many of those who were close to the Boss, he was allowed to produce a film and though a lot of raw stock and pancake were used on it, not much came of the film. Then one day, The Boss closed down the Story Department and this was perhaps the only instance in all human history where a lawyer lost his job because the poets were asked to go home.

(i) 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
(d) The legal adviser was promoted
Answer: (b) The actor's career ended abruptly

(ii) 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 Gandhiite
Answer: (c) By wearing pants, tie, and sometimes a coat

(iii) The legal adviser's demeanour is described in the passage as:
(a) Confident and authoritative
(b) Cold logic and alone among dreamers
(c) Friendly and outgoing
(d) Emotional and sensitive
Answer: (b) Cold logic and alone among dreamers

(iv) In what way did the legal adviser differ ideologically from the rest of the Department members?
(a) He was a Gandhiite
(b) He favoured khadi clothing
(c) He was neutral among Gandhiites and dreamers
(d) He was a dreamer
Answer: (c) He was neutral among Gandhiites and dreamers

(v) Which literary device is exemplified in the following expression: ‘a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers’?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Antithesis
(c) Hyperbole
(d) Alliteration
Answer: (b) Antithesis

(vi) ‘First time it ever happened in all human history where a lawyer lost his job since the story department closed.’ Explain briefly.
Answer: It is a satirical observation by the author. Usually, lawyers are the last to lose jobs, but here, because the department existed for poets (the Story Department), the lawyer lost his job when the poets were dismissed.

Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words)

Q1. What makes the author say that the actors were subjected to ‘the fiery misery’ in the make-up department?
Answer: The make-up department had incandescent lights at all angles and around half a dozen large mirrors. The heat produced by these intense lights in the make-up room brought about a lot of physical discomfort and a burning sensation to the actors. Hence, the writer refers to this pain and trouble as ‘fiery misery’.

Q2. ‘The makeup department of the Gemini Studios was a good example of national integration.’ Substantiate the statement with reference to the story.
Answer: The make-up department was a classic example of national integration because people from different regions and religious groups worked together. It was headed by a Bengali, succeeded by a Maharashtrian, and assisted by a Dharwad Kannadiga, an Andhrite, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese, and local Tamils.

Q3. “The ‘office boy’ was not exactly a boy but a man in his early forties.” What do you infer from the above statement?
Answer: This highlights the irony and the stagnant career of the man. Despite his age and ambitions of becoming a great artist, he remained stuck in a menial entry-level role, referred to as a "boy."

Q4. The office boy always remained frustrated due to his professional career. Who did he show his anger on?
Answer: He mainly directed his frustration and anger toward Kothamangalam Subbu, whom he blamed for his lack of progress and ignominy at the studios.

Q5. Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.
Answer:

• He was a brilliant story-writer and a good poet who could write poems of a higher order.
• He was an excellent actor, though he never aspired for lead roles.
• He was a natural "trouble shooter" with a solution for every cinematic problem.
• He was a charitable and generous man who provided for many relatives.

Short Answer Type Questions (Value Points Provided)

Q1. “Mr. Vasan extended a warm welcome to the Moral Re-armament Army at the Gemini Studios.” Why do you think he did so?
Answer:

• MRA was a kind of counter-movement to international communism.
• Mr. Vasan welcomed MRA due to their political affiliations, as Gemini Studios was averse to communism.
• MRA could not have found a better host in India than the anti-communist environment of Gemini Studios.

Q2. How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?
Answer:

• The English poet’s address was a complete misfit for the audience.
• His English accent made it impossible for the Tamil-speaking audience to understand anything.
• He was talking about the "thrills and travails" of an English poet to a dazed audience, making it an ordeal for them.

Q3. ‘Everybody in the studio thought of giving the author some work to do.’ What made people do so?
Answer:

• The author’s job was to cut out newspaper clippings and file them.
• Because he sat in a cubicle doing this, most people felt he was "doing next to nothing."
• Consequently, anyone who felt they had some free time would barge into his cubicle to give him work.

Q4. “The ‘office boy’ in the makeup department used to visit the author frequently to enlighten him but the author always avoided him...” Elucidate.
Answer:

• The office boy believed he had great literary talent and wanted to complain about how it was being wasted.
• The author was eager to avoid his long, "epical" narrations and complaints.
• He prayed for crowd-shooting sessions because they kept the office boy busy and away from his cubicle.

Long Answer Type Questions (120-150 words)

Q1. Kothamangalam Subbu was a ‘many-sided genius.’ Elaborate this statement with reference to the story.
Answer: Through the character of Kothamangalam Subbu, the author depicts a "go-getter" who directs all his energies and creativity to his boss’s advantage. Officially in the Story Department, he appeared to be a brilliant story-writer, a talented actor, and a resourceful problem-solver. He made the complex art of film-making seem incredibly easy for Mr. Vasan. He could suggest numerous ways to shoot a scene instantly. Besides his cinematic skills, he was a poet of a high order and a deeply charitable man. However, the author also suggests a caricature of a man who managed to create an "aura of talent" around himself, often identifying himself entirely with his principal's interests to maintain his position as Number 2.

Q2. Asokamitran has used gentle humour and satire effectively in ‘Poets and Pancakes’ to highlight human foibles. Discuss.
Answer: Asokamitran uses subtle humour and satire to highlight professional rivalries and human eccentricities at Gemini Studios. For instance, he describes the makeup room as a place where decent people are turned into "hideous monsters" using "truckloads" of Pancake. The characterization of the frustrated office boy and the "cold logic" of the legal advisor are laced with wit. The author satirizes the political climate, showing how the studio staff blindly worshipped Gandhi without understanding political thought. The mystery surrounding the English poet's visit and the confusion over the MRA's "circus" nature further add to the enlivening satire. The tone is ridiculing yet devoid of harsh mockery, making the account both engaging and insightful.

Q1 (Unsolved). Subbu was ‘tailor-made for films’. How did he use his genius in various activities in the Gemini Studios?
Answer:

• Subbu was a multi-faceted personality, perfectly suited for the film industry.
• He gave definition and direction to Gemini Studios during its golden years as the Number 2 man.
• He was always with the Boss, directing all his creativity to his advantage.
• He was a brilliant story-writer, a talented actor, and a poet.
• He was always ready with multiple solutions for any technical or creative problem during filming.
• He understood the complications of film-making and could showcase his talent in every artistic arena, making the process look effortless for his employer.

Q5 (Unsolved). What does the story of Subbu's success in the film industry reveal about the importance of loyalty, creativity, and versatility in this field?
Answer:

• The story of Subbu’s success underscores that loyalty, creativity, and versatility are indispensable qualities in the film industry.
• His loyalty to Mr. Vasan ensured he was trusted and held a high position.
• His creativity allowed him to provide unique ideas for specific scenes, making him a valuable asset.
• His versatility as an actor, poet, and writer allowed him to contribute to various departments.
• Subbu's story reveals that those who combine these traits with hard work will certainly attain success in any professional arena.