2.Poets and Pancakes-1 - Poets and Pancakes summary will help you learn about this chapter in a simplified manner. PDF

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Poets and Pancakes summary will help you learn about this chapter in a simplified manner. The chapter has been taken from the book ‘My Years with Boss’ by Asokamitran. It is about his time when he worked in Gemini Studios. It was quite a famous film studio back in those days. We learn that Asokamitr...

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POETS AND PANCAKES This lesson gives an insight into the running of the GEMINI STUDIOS [family of 600], among other things. FOUNDER  S.S. Vasan [The Boss]; SET UP in 1940 PANCAKE  Brand name of the make-up material commonly used at Gemini Studios MAKE-UP DEPARTMENT  Supposedly, Robert Clive’s stables → Make-up Room resembled haircutting salon — incandescent lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors Nationally Integrated 1st headed by a Bengali → then by a Maharashtrian → assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga + an Andhra + a Madras Indian Christian + an AngloBurmese + the usual local Tamils All make-up artists known for turning any decent-looking person into hideous crimson-hued monster [with thick coats of make-up] Strict HIERARCHY maintained  Chief Make-up Man → chief actors & actresses Senior Assistant → ‘second’ hero & heroine Junior Assistant → main comedian Office boy → the crowd OFFICE BOY  in his early 40s — Joined Gemini Studios hoping to become star actor / top screenwriter / director / lyricist [was a bit of a poet] ASOKAMITRAN’S DUTY  Sat in cubicle & cut out newspaper clippings on wide variety of subjects & store them in files; many of these handwritten Most people thought Asokamitran was busy doing next to nothing, so anyone and everyone barged in & gave him extended lecture Frustrated Office Boy confided in Asokamitran — great literary talent being allowed to go waste; make-up dept. fit only for barbers & perverts Office Boy blamed Kothamangalam Subbu for all his failures, ignominy & neglect KOTHAMANGALAM SUBBU  No. 2 at Gemini Studios — faced many uncertain times because no firmly established film producing companies when he joined Gemini Studios Able to look cheerful even after having hand in flop film, always had work for everyone: couldn’t do things on his own; tailor-made for films, could be inspired when commanded, made film-making easy, always ready with solutions; amazing actor in subsidiary roles Separate identity as poet, but success in films overshadowed literary achievements; composed story poems in folk-refrain → Thillana Mohanambal [about Devadasis of the early 20th century] Charitable improvident man, yet had many enemies — reasons: close to the Boss / general demeanour that of a sycophant / ready to say nice things about everything

LEGAL ADVISOR  Along with Subbu, clubbed with writers & poets in the Story Department Curbed promising actress’ career Different from others → all members wore khadi dhoti with slightly oversized & clumsily tailored white khadi shirt but he wore pants, tie and coat resembling coat of mail → man of cold logic among dreamers / neutral man in assembly of Gandhiites & khadiites Produced flop film; lost job when Story Department closed down GEMINI STUDIOS  Favourite haunt of poets like S.D.S Yogiyar, Sangu Subramanyam, Krishna Sastry, Harindranath Chattopadhyay Excellent mess, supplying coffee during Prohibition

Communism  Political system in which property is publicly owned and each individual works for the common benefit; Communist countries: former USSR, China, Mongolia, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba; Communist states: West Bengal & Kerala GEMINI STAFF averse to Communism; common belief → Communist a godless man with no filial or conjugal love & no compunction on killing parents, children, etc. → always out to cause violence among innocent / ignorant people FRANK BUCHMAN’S MORAL RE-ARMAMENT ARMY  visited Madras in 1952 — Gemini Studios hosts 200 members of all hues and sizes of 20 nationalities; international circus (no animals or acrobats) Jotham Valley and The Forgotten Factor — the two plays presented in a most professional manner → their message: plain, simple homilies → sets & costumes first-rate Tamil drama greatly influenced by sunset / sunrise scenes → bare stage, white background curtain & tune played on flute Moral Re-Armament Army was a kind of countermovement to international Communism STEPHEN SPENDER’S VISIT  No clue as to who he was (whether poet or editor), why he was there or what he was talking about — thrills and travails of an English poet — his accent defeated any attempt at comprehension Visit an unexplained mystery THE GOD THAT FAILED  Essays about journey into Communism & disillusioned return; eminent writers: Andre Gide, Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer & Stephen

Spender PREREQUISITES FOR POET & WRITER  Leisure, a prerequisite for poetry Prose-writing not the true pursuit of genius but for the patient, persistent, persevering drudge who doesn’t lose hope despite repeated rejection slips Makes fresh copy of the long prose piece and sends it on to another editor, enclosing postage for manuscripts’ return...