The lesson is based on the most renowned film studio, Gemini Studio of Madras(Chennai). It was founded by the brilliant and talented S.S. Vasan, who was India’s most talented and influential film-maker. The studio had a staff of more than 600 people and all were involved in making Tamil movies and other south Indian movies. The pancake was used as a makeup material by the studio for the heroines.
Poets And Pancakes: About The Author
Poets and Pancakes were written by a very famous Tamil writer and Sahitya Akademi winner. He wrote in both English as well as Tamil. He worked in the Gemini Studio in his early years of life. Though he was involved in the paper cutting business he learned a lot due to the exposure he got in the studio. After many years, he wrote his autobiography, My Years With Boss.
Poets And Pancakes: Central Theme
Poets and pancakes summary has been taken from the autobiography ‘My Years With Boss’ by Asokamitran. It shows the time period when he used to work in the Gemini Studio. It was a very famous film studio of that time and he got a lot of exposure there. We came to know that he used to cut paper cuttings of different topics.
Through this lesson, we get to know about the working of the Indian film industry. He also wrote about the makeup department and we came to know that ‘pancake’ was the makeup material used in the industry.
Character Analysis
1. Ashokamitran
He is the author of this lesson and used to work as an employee of Gemini Studio. His job was to cut newspaper clippings on different topics and make a file on it. The other members of his staff looked down upon his work and felt superior to him always. 
2. The Office Boy
He was not really a young boy, but a grown-up man of forty years old and was given the duty of crowd makeup. His job was an easy one still he feels he was an expert and a skilled make-up artist. He blamed Subbu for his failure to become a hero or a star actor.
3. Kothmangalam Subbu
He was considered the No.2 at the studio and came from a lower background than the office boy but being a brahmin he was given more importance than the office boy. He always looks cheerful as a lark and was loyal towards Vasan, always being at service for him. He was extremely creative and used his talent to his own advantage and to make his position strong in the studio.
He was a talented poet also and sometimes performed better than the lead actors. He used to write poems in Tamil and so he had made some enemies also in the studio. He was a brilliant poet and actor and contributed a lot to the Studio.
4. Legal advisor
He was a lawyer in the story department of Gemini Studio. He wore pants and a tie and sometimes an oversized coat unlike everyone in the department. He possesses cold and lame logic. He destroyed the career of many actresses by his unrealistic behavior.
5. Stephen Spender
He was an English poet, editor, and a one-time communist who gave a speech about Communism. He gave a long lecture on communism and also explains his tough times when he wishes to establish it here. Later on, people could know about the reason he gave. Asokamitran, later on, came to know that he was the Editor of the British Periodical, ‘Encounter’.he recognized the connection between him and the owner of the Studio, S.S. Vasan.
Let’s get a deep analysis of the lesson, the Poets and Pancakes.
Poets and Pancakes Summary Class 12th
Pancakes were used as make-up material in the studio by many famous actresses and the studio buys in a very good amount. He humorously told us that these pancakes turned decent-looking characters into monsters. The cameras and studio lights require that the artist should look ugly. And in turn, all players were made to look ugly.
The department had an office boy also who was around 40 years old and believed he had so much talent. He wishes to become a star actor, director, screenwriter, or lyrics writer. The make-up department was upstairs and looked like a saloon, so anyone who comes there in the scorching heat and light to get themselves ready feels they were in Hell.
The department also stood for national integrity as in its initial days it was headed by a Bengali, then by a Maharashtrian, assisted by many people all around the world. The author’s job was looked down upon by everyone in the department as he was always seen tearing newspapers. Everyone comes to please him and even the office boy comes to recite his poems but all goes in vain in front of Subbu.
The office boy got vexed by this and certainly, he had green eyes towards Subbu. Subbu was very close to the boss and whenever he faced any difficulty in presenting the scene, Subbu was there with prompt ideas to present. He was good at writing poems and could write in high order but suppressed his talent and wrote in simple Tamil.
He has written novels also in which he recreated the mood of Devadasis to make them life-like always. He was also an excellent actor and sometimes performed better than the lead actor. But he played subordinate roles only. He loved all of his relatives who come and live with him and never give a shit to money.
Subbu was a member of the story department in the studio but always seen with the boss. Besides, there was a legal advisor also in the studio who was known for his cold behavior and illogical facts. Once he also destroyed the career of a talented actress.
One day an actress showed tantrums on the sets and spoke against the producer. The legal advisor cunningly recorded her voice and played in between the shooting, she was shocked to hear her own voice and never returned on the sets.
The Gemini Studio hosted the two most influential plays and they became a huge success and later on, he came to know that MRA was the counter-communist movement. The writer also informed about the visit of an English poet Stephen Spender for an unknown reason grand preparations were done for him. They all were confused about his purpose of visit and could not understand what he spoke about.
Asokamitran’s duty was not considered important by all and he was engaged in paper cutting and making files. Everybody wanted to give some tasks to him and he also remains at beck and call. The author soon looked at a notice in the Hindu. A story which has been organized by a British Periodical called The Encounter. He came to know that the editor of that journal was none other than Stephen Spender.
After that, he came to know about a book titled, The God That Failed. It contained six essays about the failed communism and out of them one was written by Stephen Spender. The mystery was solved and the purpose too.
Conclusion
To sum up, the lesson is about the very famous Gemini Studio and talks about the various elements of each department. From pancakes, he meant the make-up material which was used in heavy amounts by the then actresses. The lesson is an extract from the book ‘My Years with The Boss’.
Poets And Pancakes Questions And Answers NCERT
Q1. What does the writer mean by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make-up’?
The writer meant by this phrase, that actresses had to face a lot while using makeup products and get ready for the movies as half a dozen light bulbs surround them all and the scorching heat of the bulbs burn them like hell.
Q2.What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
Initially, a Bengali was given in charge of the department and later on, he left the job when given a better opportunity. Then after that, it was supervised by a Maharashtrian, then a Christian, and then after that an Anglo-Bengali and Tamils. All of them worked together and put an effort to promote integrity. This concept was raised by Doordarshan and All India Radio.
Q3.What work did the ‘office boy’ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he disappointed?
His duty was to paint faces and do makeup for the crowd. He dreamed of becoming a star actor but he remained as a screenwriter or producer in the studio.
Q4. Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?
The author’s job was to cut and maintain clippings of the newspaper in a file. Others feel that this job was very easy and they all gave them some extra work to do.
