Poets and Pancakes questions and answers: Ncert Solutions for Class 12 English flamingo Chapter 6 Poets and Pancakes
| Textbook | Ncert |
| Class | Class 12 |
| Subject | English flamingo |
| Chapter | Chapter 6 |
| Chapter Name | Poets and Pancakes ncert solutions |
| Category | Ncert Solutions |
| Medium | English |
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Poets and Pancakes Think As you Read:
Question 1: What does the writer mean by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make-up’?
Answer 1: 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 2: What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
Answer 2: The make-up division of 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 3: What work did the ‘office boy’ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he disappointed?
Answer 3: The ‘office boy’ applied make-up for those people who played the role of ‘crowd’. He had joined the studio in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screen writer. He was disappointed as he ended up being a mere ‘office boy’.
Question 4: Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?
Answer 4: 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.
Poets and Pancakes Think As you Read:
Question 1: Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?
Answer 1: The office boy had joined the studio years ago in the hope of becoming an actor or a screenwriter, a director, or a lyricist. The fact that he ended up becoming none of these left him frustrated. According to him, “Great literary talent was being allowed to go waste in a department fit only for barbers and perverts”. He used to direct his anger at the author even though it was meant for Kothamangalam Subbu.
Question 2: Who was Subbu’s principal?
Answer 2: Mr. S.S Vasan, the founder of the Gemini Studios, was Subbu’s principal.
Question 3: Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.
Answer 3: 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.
Question 4: Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?
Answer 4: The legal adviser was referred to as the opposite by the others because he was a lawyer who was known as a legal adviser in the story department but his actions did no good to anybody. He also had unwittingly brought the career of a promising young actress to an end.
Question 5: What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
Answer 5: 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.
Poets and Pancakes Think As you Read:
Question 1: Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?
Answer 1: 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 2: Why was the Moral Rearmament Army welcomed at the Studios?
Answer 2: Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament army was welcomed at the studio mainly because of their political association. The people at the Gemini Studios were averse to Communism, and hence, were ready to play host to the MRA.
Apart from that, the studio people hardly had any occupation and suffered from boredom. The MRA came as a welcome change to their monotonous days at the studio.
Question 3: Name one example to show that Gemini studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA
Answer 3: 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 as done in the plays staged by the MRA.
Question 4: Who was The Boss of Gemini Studios?
Answer 4: Mr. S. S. Vasan was the Boss of Gemini Studio.
Question 5: What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?
Answer 5: 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 6: Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?
Answer 6: 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.
Poets and Pancakes Think As you Read:
Question 1: Who was the English visitor to the studios?
Answer 1: The English visitor was Stephen Spender, an English poet, essayist and a novelist who concentrated on themes of social injustice and class struggle.
Question 2: How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was?
Answer 2: 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 3: What does The God that Failed refer to?
Answer 3: ‘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’’.
Poets and Pancakes Understanding the text:
Question 1: 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 1: The author effectively uses gentle humour to highlight the quirks and eccentricities of the characters and the environment at Gemini Studios. For instance, the depiction of the makeup artists and the exaggerated importance of ‘pancake’ makeup introduces a humorous tone. Subbu’s creative problem-solving, despite his lack of brilliance, adds to the charm.
The humour extends to the frustration of the office boy, the reverence for Gandhi, the incident where an illegal adviser inadvertently ends an actress’s career, the strong anti-Communist sentiment, and the mysterious presence of Stephen Spender, all contributing to a light-hearted yet insightful narrative.
Question 2: Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios?
Answer 2: Using flattery, Kothamangalam Subbu was able to secure the position closest to The Boss. He wasn’t brilliant, but he was a cheerful person who was fiercely loyal to The Boss. When The Boss was in a jam, he offered solutions. As a result, the other employees ranked him second in Gemini Studios.
Question 3: How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?
Answer 3: The author describes the absurdity of an English poet addressing a largely Tamil-speaking audience at Gemini Studios. The poet, with his provincial English accent, spoke about the joys and struggles of being a poet, but his words were met with confusion and silence. The audience, unfamiliar with both the language and the context, found it difficult to connect with the poet’s discourse, highlighting the mismatch between the speaker and his listeners.
Question 4: What do you understand about the author’s literary inclinations from the account?
Answer 4: The author’s literary interests lean towards prose, as indicated by his choice of books, his admiration for Stephen Spender, and the recurring focus on prose throughout the account. His observations and reflections reveal a deep appreciation for literature, particularly prose, which influenced his perspective on the various characters and events at Gemini Studios.
Poets and Pancakes 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. During the early days, make-up studios had a group of various staff members from different region and cultures in the department but in contemporary times, each function is considered special and there is a qualified expert in the related area. Right from the make-up studio to the marketing and the shooting of difficult scenes, everything requires expert advice. Technology has also made inroads infilm-production, which is visible through the special effects that can make an imaginary scene come alive in an unbelievable manner.
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. Humour is an art of expressing an idea, situation or circumstances in an amusing way whereas criticism is an analysis that brings out the positive and negative qualities. An example of criticism is the analysis of Subu’s character. Humour is present in the chapter right from the start where ‘pancake’ is referred to as a make-up material used universally by actresses to look good on screen.
For ex.– Vijayanthimala who was dusky, would have used ample of it to reflect a white smooth complexion. Whereas Rati Agnihotri was naturally very beautiful with a smooth, fair complexion and hence, may not have had a great use of it. Further, the description of the make-up department contains humour when it is used as an example of National Integration. An example of criticism is the analysis of Subu’s character.