English class 12 chapter poets and pancakes ppt

2. The following chapter is an excerpt from
Ashokamitran’s book "My Years with
Boss". In this, he basically recounts his
years at the famous Gemini studio that
was located in Chennai.

3. Ashokamitran (22 September 1931-23 March 2017) was
a famous Tamil writer and Sahitya Akademi, winner.
He was one of the few writers who wrote fluently in
both Tamil and English. In a career spanning over six
decades, he wrote 8 novels, 20 novellas and hundreds
of short stories, on a wide range of issues.
He spent the initial years of his career in the famous
Gemini Studios of Chennai.

5. The narrative gives an insight into
how different people work
together despite their casual
dislike for each other and how
different is the reel life from real
life.

6. OFFICE BOY:
Was In his forties whose main task was to do crowd
make - up
Aspired to become an actor, lyricist, director, writer.
Was jealous of Subbu and said direst things about him.

7. The author of the narrative and an
employee of Gemini Studio, Asokamitran’s work was
to cut newspaper clippings, paste these and maintain
a file of the same. The other stafflooked down on his
job and believed themselves to be superior to him.

8. Stephen Spender, an English poet, editor and a one-time communist, came to
Gemini Studios and gave a speech. His lecture was about Communism on
one side and about his struggles to establish as a poet on the other. The
content of the speech and the accent of the poet left everyone utterly
bewildered. The reason for his visit remained an unexplained mystery.
Asokamitran later discovered that Stephen Spender was the editor of the
British periodical, ‘Encounter’. When he accidentally chanced upon
Spender’s essay on Communism in the book, ‘The God that Failed’,
Asokamitran understood the connection between the English poet, Stephen
Spender and the owner of Gemini Studios, S.S. Vasan.

9. Was called “number two“ of the Gemini Studio
Was a Brahmin.
Loyal and charitable and had a genuine love for anyone he came
across and his house always had visitors who were his far
relatives and acquaintances.
Was tailor-made for films and an extremely talented actor who came
up with various alternatives to perform one scene.
A sycophant.

10. SUMMARY…

11.  The essay, “Poets and Pancakes” is an extract from Asokamitran’s
book “My Years with Boss.” The Boss was S.S. Vasan, who
founded the Gemini Studios which produced a number of films that
influenced every aspect of Indian life.
 Asokamitran talks about his days at Gemini Studios. He is known
for his humour and gende satire. He explains us about a make-up
material. The brand name of this material was Pancake. This
material was bought and used up in the studios. He gives name of
few actresses who used that material. He suggests that the make-up
department was located in a building which was believed to have
been Robert Clive’s stable. However, there were several buildings
associated with Robert Clive’s residence but this was not true as
Clive’s stay in India was very shortlived.

12.  Further, he gives a description of the make-up
department as a symbol of national integration and the
make-up room as a hair-cutting salon. Pancake and
many other lotions made actors ugly as it was
necessary to make them presentable in a movie. In the
make-up department, there was a forty-year-old office
boy with dream of becoming a star-actor or director or
lyrics writer. His dreams remained unfulfilled, making
him frustrated. For this, he blamed Subbu, who was
No. 2 and a favourite of the boss.

13.  The writer tells about poets who used to wear khadi and believed
that Communists were monster^. He even tells about legal adviser
who had been the member of the story department. He was at odds
in the department and lost his job with the closure of story
department. The legal adviser had even once brought an abrupt end
to the promising career of a talented actress.
 The Gemini Studios even hosted a two-hundred strong Moral
Rearmament Army (MRA) which showed two plays in the most
professional manner. The plays became a good success and left their
impression on Tamil drama. Later, the writer however, learnt that
MRA was actually a counter-Communist movement.

14.  The writer even tells us about Subbu, a man of many abilities and kind-hearted
person. However, the office boys felt jealous of him, and cursed him.
 The writer humorously tells of an English poet’s visit to the studios. Though royal
preparations were done but the purpose of his arrival was a mystery for long time
to come. At the studios, they had never heard the poet’s name before. Further, they
did not understand what he spoke. The poet also perhaps felt baffled.
 Asokamitran’s duty at the studios was to cut newspaper clippings on several issues
and store them in files. However, anyone who saw him tearing newspapers thought
he had no work. Thus, everybody wanted to deliver some work to him.
 The author saw a notice in The Hindu. A short story contest had been organised by
a British periodical called, The Encounter. The writer desired to send an entry.
However, he wanted to know status of the periodical. For this, he went to
British Council Library. There he found it. He learnt that the editor of the
periodical was Stephen Spender, the poet who had come to Gemini Studios.

15.  After his retirement, he came across a book
titled, The God That Failed. It had six essays
about failure of Communism. One of these
essays was written by Spender. The mystery of
Spender’s visit to Gemini Studios was cleared.
Perhaps it had something to do with his anti-
communist perspective.