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Poets and Pancakes Extra Questions and Answers Important Questions Class 12 English Flamingo
Poets and Pancakes Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
Poets And Pancakes Questions And Answers Class 12 Question 1.
Why did the legal adviser lose his job in the Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The legal adviser worked in the story department of the Gemini Studios which was later closed by the boss. So, in this way, the legal adviser lost his job.
Poets And Pancakes Extra Questions And Answers Class 12 Question 2.
What do you understand by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make up?
Answer:
The makeup room was glowed by many incandescent lights which produced very fiery heat. Artists had to face that extreme heat as they had to sit there for makeup. They were pitiful and could not do anything in this regard.
Poet And Pancakes Question Answer Class 12 Question 3.
What was the poet’s preconceived idea about communism?
Answer:
The poet opined that the communists were heart-less and godless persons. They did not love their wife, children as well as relatives. They were always ready for violence and to tease the innocent people.
Poets And Pancakes Question Answers Class 12 Question 4.
Who was Greta Garbo?
Answer:
Greta Garbo was a Swedish actress who received honorary Oscar for her unforgettable screen performances. Guiness Book of World Records named her the most beautiful woman who ever lived and she was also voted Best Silent Actress of the country.
Poets And Pancakes Question Answer Class 12 Question 5.
What do you infer of Robert Clive from the text?
Answer:
Robert Clive was Commander-in-Chief of British India who owned many buildings in Madras and fought many battles and married a maiden in St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George in Madras.
Question Answer Of Poets And Pancakes Class 12 Question 6.
What do you understand by national integration?
Answer:
The national integration is a combination which consists of each and every, many castes, tribes and communities in it. National Integration is above than any of the religion or thinking and it unites various people from various places and cultures.
Poets And Pancakes Textual Questions And Answers Class 12 Question 7.
What is a hierarchy?
Answer:
Hierarchy is a process in which members of any of the organigation or society are ranked according to relatives their, their status and authorities.
Poets And Pancakes Solutions Class 12 Question 8.
What is the designation‘a office boy’ signify?
Answer:
The office boy is a person of no age limit who works in various offices and departments. He simply does the ordinary or menial tasks as fetching the coffee or drinks, filing, introducing visitors to the office etc.
Poets And Pancakes Important Questions Class 12 Question 9.
What happened with Subbu’s literary achieve-ments? ‘
Answer:
Though, Subbu was a tailor made for films but he had a talent of poetry and writing novels. Later, as his filmy career grew higher, his literary talent and achievements were overshadowed and dwarfed by his own success.
Poets And Pancakes Class 12 Questions And Answers Question 10.
What could be the reason of the shut of the story department?
Answer:
The story department was comprised of many poets and writers and also a lawyer with them. But later, it was closed. The possible reason for the shutting down of the story department may be its uselessness or unbearable expenses or regular salary of the members and less output in return.
Poets And Pancakes Questions And Answers Pdf Question 11.
Which poets from England were known to the Gemini Studios’ staff ?
Answer:
The ordinary staff of the Gemini Studios knew or heard about Wordsworth and Tennyson; and the more literate ones knew of Keats, Shelly and Byron or about Eliot. But they didn’t know about Stephen Spender, who was invited at the Gemini Studios.
Question 12.
‘The God That Failed’ was the composition of six eminent men of letters. Describe.
Answer:
The God That Failed’ contained six separate essays of six renowned essayists about their journeys into communism and their disillusioned return. Those six distinguished writers were : Andre Gide, Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender.
Question 13.
What does the writer mean by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make-up?
Answer:
The writer means that the artists who were subjected to make-up had to bear very intense heat due to the multiple incandescent lights and reflecting big mirrors.
Question 14.
What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
Answer:
Make-up department is the fine example of national integration that the author refers to as people from various and distinct parts of India used to work there together.
Question 15.
What work did the ‘office boy’ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he disappointed?
Answer:
During the crowd shooting in the Gemini Studios, the office boy used to paint their faces slapping with heavy paint. Thinking that he would become a top star, screen writer or a director or lyrics writer; he joined the Gemini Studios. He couldn’t succeed and was disappointed due to his faliure and thought that his talent was going to be wasted.
Question 16.
Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?
Answer:
The author’s duty was to cut the newspaper clip-pings for the subject, arrange them in a file and some-times writing by hand and this work appeared to be ^useless or valueless in others’ view.
Question 17.
Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?
Answer:
The office boy was frustrated because he assumed that his talent was being wasted working in a department that was suitable only for barbers and perverts. He showed his anger on Kothamangalam Subbu for his negligence and dishonour.
Question 18.
Who was Subbu’s principal?
Answer:
Mr. S.S. Vasan, the owner of the Gemini Studios, was the principal of Subbu.
Question 19.
Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.
Answer:
Though Subbu was a versatile character having many qualities, nevertheless his main four abilites can be counted as following: he was tailor-made for films, could solve any of the problem; he, being a poet could write any type of poetry; he was always joyful and having very sound relationship with his relatives and acquaintances; and lastly he was also having a talent of writing novels.
Question 20.
Why was the legal advisor referred to as the opposite by others?
Answer:
Instead of solving the legal problems of the people, the legal advisor himself used to create problems for them. Once, when a talented heroine heard her own voice, she was disappointed and her growth and career became steady and unfruitful.
Question 21.
What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The lawyer, in comparision with other members of story department, used to wear trousers, shirts and tie whereas others wore dhotis and especially khadi. So, sometimes wearing a coat also, the lawyer stood out different from others.
Question 22.
Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?
Answer:
No, the people at Gemini Studios had no political affiliations. They wore khadi and were devotees of Gandhiji. They didn’t have any opinion about any political party or even with communism.
Question 23.
Why was the Moral Re-armament Army welcomed at the Studios?
Answer:
The Moral Rearmement Army was welcomed at the Gemini Studios as they staged two successful plays many a times and the army was invited by the owner of the Gemini Studios. They were also appreciated for their sense of costumes and arrangements.
Question 24.
Give one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA.
Answer:
The Gemini Studios was actually influenced by the sunset and sunrise scenes presented by MRA through their play ‘Jotham Valley’, The scene seemed to be unique with white background and a tune played on the flute.
Question 25.
Who was the boss of Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Mr. S.S. Vasan was the boss of Gemini Studios.
Question 26.
What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
People at the Gemini Studios were totally unknown about the strange accent of the Englishman and couldn’t understand his wordings so this was the cause of lack of communication.
Question 27.
Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?
Answer:
Englishman’s visit is referred to as unexplained mystery because nobody could understand the purpose of his visit as studio’s people made Tamil films for the simplest sort of people and they had no taste for English poetry.
Question 28.
Who was the English visitor to the studios?
Answer:
Stephen Spender, an English poet and editor was the English visitor to the Gemini Studios.
Question 29.
How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studio was?
Answer:
The author was interested in a contest organised by a British periodical ‘The Encounter’. So for periodicals, he went to British council library where he saw the prints of ‘The Encounter’. He discovered the editor’s name which was ‘Stephen Spender’ an Englishman who visited the Gemini Studios.
Question 30.
What does ‘The God That Failed’ refer to?
Answer:
‘The God That Failed’ refers to a collection of six essays by six eminent men of letters. It was their journey to enter into the communism and their dis-illusioned return.
Question 32.
Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No.2 in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Kothammangalam Subbu, a Brahmin was a multi-talented personality. He used to solve each and every problem of Gemini Studios. He was very close to the boss and was always seemed with him. He commanded all the activities of all the persons related to the Gemini Studios. So we can say that Subbu was the next boss of the Gemini Studios.
Poets and Pancakes Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Write a brief note on what you have learnt about Subbu’s Character?
Answer:
Subbu, Kothamangalam Subbu was a Brahmin by caste and placed at no. 2 position at the Gemini Studios. He always remained cheerful and satisfied. Though he was very generous to all people of the Gemini Studios as well as all the relatives and acquaintances, yet he too was having his woes. People disliked him because of his closeness to the boss. He was very loyal to his boss.
At Gemini Studios, he had the solution of all problems at one place. He seemed to be indulged in every important affair of the company. He also had the artistic talent as he was a poet and novelist also. He used to write in a simple way for common mass as he composed several folk dictions and deftly created characters for novel. He was an amazing actor though never acted for a lead role but got more praise than the main character. He was a tailor-made actor with unmatchable capacities.
Question 2.
What was Moral Re-armament Army? Describe about their journey to the Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-armament Army came to the Gemini Studios in 1952. It was a drama company with 200 strong and expert artists named as international cricus. All those persons belonged to twenty different countries. They performed two different plays successfully representing simple homilies with fine dressings and an effective set.
Plays played by the players were ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ which were widely appreciated by the members of the studios. The scenes of sunrise and sunset were hugely copied by the audience for many years. Those scenes were played on a bare stage with a white background and a tune was played on the flute. Thus MRA influenced the spectators in a very impressive manner.
Question 3.
Describe the make-up department of Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The make-up department of the Gemini Studios was established on the upstairs of a building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables. The make-up room had the look of a hair-cutting salon with lights at all angles. The lights were incandescent which produced the extreme heat and about half dozen big mirrors reflected the light, that was totally unbearable for the artists to be made-up.
The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who when left, a Maharashtrian headed it with an assistant Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and the usual local Tamils. In this way, there was a great deal of national integration. A strict hierarchy could be noticed at make-up department. The chief make-up man attended to the chief actors and actresses. His senior assistant looked to the ‘second’ hero and heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian and so forth.
The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy. He used to mix his paint in a giant vessel and slap it on the crowd players. So, the gang of nationally integrated make-up men could turn any decent-looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster with the help of truck-loads of Pancake and a number of other locally made potions and lotions. Thus, the make-up room was not less than a torcher room for the artists who were to be prepared for the shoot.
Question 4.
How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Only Tamil films were made in the Gemini Studios and the peoples of the Gemini Studios had nothing to do with the English poetry. Not any of the English visitor could generate any point of interest among Gemini Studios’ peoples regarding English poetry and they were also unable to understand the strange and different accent of the Englishmen. So it was surely the incongruity of an English poet ad-dressing the audience at Gemini Studios and the anthor found no productivity of any talent or knowledge through the visits of Englishmen.
Question 5.
What do you understand about the author’s literary inclinations from the account?
Answer:
Author, though had a work of newspaper cutting collection in the Gemini Studios but undoubtedly this belonged to his literary taste which also required the sound knowledge of literature.
He needed be aware about different papers and periodicals also. After his retirement, he continued reading habit so once when he found a low priced edition of‘The God That Failed’, he immediately bought it. This account reveals his literary taste that made him a successful writer also.
Question 6.
The author has used gentle humour to point out human problems. Pick out instances of this to show how this serves to make the piece interesting.
Answer:
Many instances of humour are used by the author in this piece. Scenes of makeup department and usage of Pancakes is very humorous. It was more a hair cutting saloon than the makeup room containing too much lights and mirrors. Makeup team could easily convert an ordinary man into a hideous crimson hued monster.
According to the strict hierarchy, people were fixed for various levels artists. A office boy, though a 40 years man he was, joined the Gemini Studios to become a star actor, a writer or a lyricist but failed and started to motivate others though he himself had as failed to achieve his aim.
Poets and Pancakes Extra Questions and Answers Extract Based
Read, the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
(Para-1)
A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make up department. The chief make up man made the chief actors and actresses ugly, his senior assistant the ‘second’ hero and heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian, and so forth. The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy. (Even the make up department of the Gemini Studios had on ‘office boy!) On the days when there was a crowd-shooting, You could see him mixing his paint in a giant vessel and slapping it on the crowd players.
Questions:
(a) What do you understand by ‘hierarchy’ ?
(b) Whose responsibility was to make up the crowd ?
(c) How the office boy used to prepare the make up paint?
(d) Name the chapter and the writer.
Answers :
(a) Hierarchy is a system in which members/ participants of any oragnisation/ company are ranked according to relation or their authority.
(b) The crowd was made-up by the office boy of Gemini Studios.
(c) The office boy used to prepare the make up paint by mixing it (paint) in a giant vessel.
(d) The chapter’s name is ‘Poets and Pancakes’ by ‘Asokamitran’.
(Para-2)
An extremely talented actress, who was also extremely temperamental, once blew over on the sets. While every¬one stood stunned, the lawyer quietly switched on the re¬cording equipment. When the actress paused for breath, the lawyer said to her, “One minute, please,” and played back the recording. There was nothing incriminating or unmentionably foul about the actress’s tirade against the producer. But when she heard her voice again through the sound equipment, she was struck dumb.
Questions :
(a) What happened to the actress once on the sets ?
(b) What did the lawyer said in the mid of the shot ?
(c) Was there something special about actress’s tirade ?
(d) Why was the actress struck dumb ?
Answers:
(a) Once on the sets, the actress with extremely tempera-mental blew over.
(b) In the mid of the shot, the lawyer said to the actress, “One minute, please,” and played back the recording.
(c) No, nothing was special and mentionable about the actress’s tirade.
(d) The actress struck dumb when she heard her own voice again through the sound equipment.
(Para-3)
Gemini Studios was the favourite haunt of poets like
S.D.S. Yogiar, Sangu Subramanyam, Krishna Sastry and Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. It had an excellent mess which supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the night. Those were the days when Congress rule meant Prohibition and meeting over a cup of coffee was rather satisfying entertainment. Barring the office boys and a couple of clerks, everybody else at the Studios radiated leisure, a pre-requisite for poerty.
Questions :
(a) Why all four poets mentioned above gathered at Gemini Studios ?
(b) What was the use of mess at Gemini Studios ?
(c) What was the meaning of Congress rule those days ?
(d) Why leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry was ?
Answers:
(a) All four poets mentioned above gathered at Gemini Studios because it was an excellent place for discussion and they felt relaxed gathering there.
(b) Mess at Gemini Studios supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the night.
(c) Congress rules, those days meant ‘Prohibition’.
(d) Leisure was a pre-requisite for poetry because poetry was liked by not only office boys or clerks but by everybody there.
(Para-4)
A few months later, the telephone lines of the big bosses of Madras buzzed and once again we at Gemini Studios cleared a whole shooting stage to welcome another visitor. All they said was that he was a poet from England. The only poets from England the simple Gemini staffknew or heared of were Word worth and Tennyson; the more literate ones knew of Keats, Shelly and Byron; and one or two might have faintly come to know of someone by the name Eliot. Who was the poet visiting the Gemini Studios now ?
Questions: .
(a) Why did they clear the whole shooting stage ?
(b) What did they come to know about the visitor ?
(c) Which poets were known among the more literate peoples of Gemini Studios ?
(d) Was they sure about the visitor that time ?
Answers:
(a) They cleared the whole shooting stage to welcome an another visitor at Gemini Studios.
(b) They came to know that the visitor might be a poet from England..
(c) Keats, Shelley and Byron were known among the more literatre peoples of Gemini Studios.
(d) No, they were not sure about the visitor that time.
(Para-5)
And years later, when I was out of Gemini Studios and I had much time but not much money, anything at a reduced price attracted my attention. On the footpath in front of the Madras Mount Road Post Office, there was a pile of brand new books for fifty paise each. Actually they were copies of the same book, an elegant paperback of American origin. ‘Special low-priced student edition, in connection with the 50th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution’.
Questions :
(a) What attracted the writer and why ?
(b) Where did the writer find new books ?
(c) What do you understand by ‘paper back’ ?
(d) Why those books on footpath were so cheap ?
Answers:
(a) Anything at a reduced price attracted the attention of the writer because his pockets were not full of money.
(b) On the footpath in front of the Madras Mount Road Post Office, the writer found new books.
(c) Paperback is a type of book characterized by a thick paper or paperboard cover, and stick together with glue rather than stitches or staples.
(d) Those books on footpath were so cheap because those were the books, special low-priced student edition, in connection with the 50th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution.