POETS AND PANCAKES PPT.pptx

English class 12 chapter poets and pancakes ppt

1. POETS AND PANCAKES….

2. ABOUT THE STORY 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. ABOUT THE AUTHOR 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.

4. THEME …! 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.

5. CHARACTER SKETCH 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.                          

6. The author of the narrative and an ASHOKAMITRAN 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.

7. STEPHEN SPENDER 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 .

8. KOTHAMANGLAM SUBBU 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.

9. SUMMARY…

10. 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 .

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.