Poets and Pancakes-(Lesson and Explanation-Part-II)

Apart from the aforementioned qualities, Subbu was a realistic actor not very fond of playing
the protagonist. Whichever role he performed, he had the ability to perform better than the
main actors. He treated everyone with sincere respect and affection, so much so that his
home was a permanent residence for all his known. He wasn’t even aware of the fact that he
was so welcoming. The narrator was amazed at the fact that even such a person could have
enemies. He was not sure about the reason behind such behaviour towards Subbu. He
guessed it to be his closeness with the boss, or because he said nice things about everything
and everyone or simply because he praised the boss to gain favours. Regardless, the boy in
the make-up department wished terrible things for Subbu.
You saw Subbu always with The Boss but in the attendance rolls, he was grouped under a
department called the Story Department comprising a lawyer and an assembly of writers and
poets. The lawyer was also officially known as the legal adviser, but everybody referred to
him as the opposite. An extremely talented actress, who was also extremely temperamental,
once blew over on the sets. While everyone stood stunned, the lawyer quietly switched on the
recording 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. A girl from the countryside,
she hadn’t gone through all the stages of worldly experience that generally precede a position
of importance and sophistication that she had found herself catapulted into. She never quite
recovered from the terror she felt that day. That was the end of a brief and brilliant acting
career — the legal adviser, who was also a member of the Story Department, had unwittingly
brought about that sad end.
Temperamental - liable to unreasonable changes of mood.
Blew over- to pass by or to end
Incriminating- making someone appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing.
Foul - bad
Tirade - a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation
Struck dumb - shocked
Countryside: from village
Sophistication - having a good understanding of the way people behave
Catapulted - move suddenly or at great speed
Unwittingly- unknowingly
Subbu could always be found with the boss but officially, he worked under the Story
department. The department consisted of poets, writers and strangely, a lawyer. He was often
referred to as a ‘legal adviser’ but people used to call him the opposite. This was because
once, a high-tempered actress starting throwing tantrums on set leaving everyone stunned,
while he went and secretly switched on the recording equipment. He played it when the
actress paused for breath, leaving her shocked. There was nothing offensive against the
producer but her problematic tone, volume and tantrums sent her into a trauma which was
hard for her to recover from. It marked the end of her short but brilliant acting career and
the legal advisor was responsible for it somehow.
While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform — khadi dhoti with a
slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt — the legal adviser wore pants and
a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often he looked alone and helpless
— a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers — a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites
and khadiites. Like so many of those who were close to The Boss, he was allowed to produce
a film and though a lot of raw stock and pancake were used on it, not much came of the film.
Then one day The Boss closed down the Story Department and this was perhaps the only
instance in all human history where a lawyer lost his job because the poets were asked to go
home.
Khadi - an Indian homespun cotton cloth
Dhoti - a garment worn by male Hindus, consisting of a piece of material tied around the
waist and extending to cover most of the legs
Coat of mail - a protective garment made of linked metal rings (mail) or of overlapping metal
plates
Cold logic - logic that fails to consider human factors such as culture, language, social
dynamics, personality and emotion
The lawyer wore unique clothes, different from the usual uniform that consisted of a dhoti
made of khadi fabric and a slightly oversized khadi shirt. He was generally seen wearing
pants, tie and sometimes a coat which was like armour. He was a neutral man with logic
which did not value human feelings and was usually seen helpless in a world full of literary
enthusiasts. T
he narrator called him a ‘neutral man in the assembly of Gandhiites and Khadiites’ because
he was different from the rest of them. He was very close to the boss and just as the trend
goes, he too was allowed to produce his own film which could not do very well. A lot of
make-up products and pancake stash were used in the process. Eventually, the boss shut
down the Story Department. The narrator expresses it in a sarcastic way, that this was
perhaps the only instance in human history where a lawyer lost his job because the poets
were asked to go home. As the story department was closed, the poets were rendered
workless along with the lawyer.
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 poetry. Most of them wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji
but beyond that they had not the faintest appreciation for political thought of any kind.
Naturally, they were all averse to the term ‘Communism’. A Communist was a godless man
— he had no filial or conjugal love; he had no compunction about killing his own parents or
his children; he was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and
ignorant people. Such notions which prevailed everywhere else in South India at that time
also, naturally, floated about vaguely among the khadi-clad poets of Gemini Studios.
Evidence of it was soon forthcoming.
Haunt - frequently visited by
Mess- a building or room providing meals
Prohibition- the act of forbidding something
Leisure- time when one is not working or occupied; free time
Prerequisite- a thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist
Averse- having a strong dislike of or opposition to something
Communism- collectivism, socialism
Filial- relating to or due from a son or daughter.
Conjugal- relating to marriage or the relationship between a married couple
Compunction- reluctance
Vaguely- in a way that is uncertain
Forthcoming- about to happen or appear
The Gemini studio was frequented by famous poets like S.D.S.Yogiar, Sangu Subramanyam,
Krishna Sastry and Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. The mess at the studio was excellent; it
prepared a nice coffee which was available all day long. In those days, the Congress rule
meant restrictions and a cup of coffee with friends was the only source of entertainment. Only
the office boys and some clerks at the studio worked, the others enjoyed their free time which
was necessary for creating poetry. Most of the poets wore clothes made of khadi fabric and
respected Gandhiji for its prevalence but were not politically inclined. They hated terms like
communism because they thought that a Communist did not love his family. He would not
hesitate in killing them. He was there to create violence among the ignorant and innocent
people. Such a thought was prevalent in South India and the poets were no exceptions to it.
The proof of their thought would be seen shortly.
When Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament army, some two hundred strong, visited
Madras sometime in 1952, they could not have found a warmer host in India than the Gemini
Studios. Someone called the group an international circus. They weren’t very good on the
trapeze and their acquaintance with animals was only at the dinner table, but they presented
two plays in a most professional manner. Their ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’
ran several shows in Madras and along with the other citizens of the city, the Gemini family
of six hundred saw the plays over and over again.
The message of the plays was usually plain and simple homilies, but the sets and costumes
were first-rate. Madras and the Tamil drama community were terribly impressed and for
some years almost 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.
Trapeze- a horizontal bar hanging with two ropes and free to swing, used by acrobats in a
circus
Homilies- sermon; lecture
Bare - empty
Gemini Studio displayed extreme hospitality when Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament
army consisting of 200 people came to Madras in 1952. They were referred to as the
International Circus even though they were not very good with trapeze and the only
association they had with animals, was at the dinner table - they ate non vegetarian food and
other than that, they did not interact with animals as was done in a circus. Their two plays
that were performed with full proficiency and professionalism got a lot of appreciation while
they performed it again and again in different parts of Madras. Though the plots and
message were not complex, their sets and costumes were near to perfection so much so that
for many years, Tamil plays displayed sunset and sunrise in a way inherited from ‘Jotham
Valley’.
It was some years later that I learnt that the MRA was a kind of countermovement to
international Communism and the big bosses of Madras like Mr. Vasan simply played into
their hands. I am not sure however, that this was indeed the case, for the unchangeable
aspects of these big bosses and their enterprises remained the same, MRA or no MRA,
international Communism or no international Communism.
The staff of Gemini Studios had a nice time hosting two hundred people of all hues and sizes
of at least twenty nationalities. It was such a change from the usual collection of crowd
players waiting to be slapped with thick layers of make-up by the office-boy in the make-up
department.
Countermovement - a movement or other action made in opposition to another.
played into their hands - to do something that one does not realize will hurt oneself and help
someone else
Hues- complexion
The MRA was opposed to Communism and people like Mr Vasan was suffering at their
hands. However, these bosses and their businesses remained unaffected by such issues.
Not only the audience, but also the staff of Gemini studios had a great time hosting two
hundred people from over twenty nationalities. It was different from their usual routine of
crowd performances where groups of people would wait to get heaps on makeup on their face
by the make-up department
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
staff knew or heard of were Wordsworth and Tennyson; the more literate ones knew of Keats,
Shelley 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?
After a few months, Gemini Studios got yet another chance to welcome a poet from England.
People made guesses about who was going to visit this time because most people knew a few
poets like Wordsworth or Tennyson, or the enthusiasts knew about Keats, Shelley, Byron or
even Eliot. They were curious as to who was the one visiting Gemini Studios.
“He is not a poet. He is an editor. That’s why The Boss is giving him a big reception.” Vasan
was also the editor of the popular Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan. He wasn’t the editor of any
of the known names of British publications in Madras, that is, those known at the Gemini
Studios. Since the top men of The Hindu were taking the initiative, the surmise was that the
poet was the editor of a daily — but not from The Manchester Guardian or the London
Times. That was all that even the wellinformed among us knew.
Surmise- guess; suspect
The person about to visit Gemini Studios was not a poet but an editor of a newspaper daily
and thus, the boss was planning on giving him a huge welcome. Even Vasan was the editor of
a famous Tamil weekly publication titled Ananda Vikatan. There were many famous
publishing houses in Madras that had been set up by the British which everyone at Gemini
studios knew about. The highest level of managers at The Hindu were involved which meant
that the editor was a prominent personality. The staff at Gemini only knew of 2 newspapers -
The Manchester Guardian and The London Times. The man was not the editor of either of the
two.
At last, around four in the afternoon, the poet (or the editor) arrived. He was a tall man, very
English, very serious and of course very unknown to all of us. Battling with half a dozen
pedestal fans on the shooting stage, The Boss read out a long speech. It was obvious that he
too knew precious little about the poet (or the editor). The speech was all in the most general
terms but here and there it was peppered with words like ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’. Then
the poet spoke. He couldn’t have addressed a more dazed and silent audience — no one knew
what he was talking about and his accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was
saying. The whole thing lasted about an hour; then the poet left and we all dispersed in utter
bafflement — what are we doing? What is an English poet doing in a film studio which
makes Tamil films for the simplest sort of people? People whose lives least afforded them the
possibility of cultivating a taste for English poetry? The poet looked pretty baffled too, for he
too must have felt the sheer incongruity of his talk about the thrills and travails of an English
poet. His visit remained an unexplained mystery.
Bafflement- confusion, bewilderment
The guest finally arrived at around four in the afternoon. He was tall, and had a serious-
looking british face (obviously) which was unknown to almost all of them. Boss welcomed
him with a speech and the speech was evident of the fact that he knew about him just as little
as they did. The speech was general but they could not help but hear words like ‘freedom’
and ‘democracy’. Then it was time for the poet (or editor) to enlighten the audience but
unfortunately, no one could understand a word he was saying because of his British accent.
Everyone was left bewildered. The visitor was just as confused. People couldn’t understand
the reason why a British poet was there at a studio that made Tamil films and in between
people who couldn’t afford to develop a taste for English poetry. His visit was indeed a
mystery.
The great prose-writers of the world may not admit it, but my conviction grows stronger day
after day that prose writing is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius. It is for the
patient, persistent, persevering drudge with a heart so shrunken that nothing can break it;
rejection slips don’t mean a thing to him; he at once sets about making a fresh copy of the
long prose piece and sends it on to another editor enclosing postage for the return of the
manuscript. It was for such people that The Hindu had published a tiny announcement in an
insignificant corner of an unimportant page — a short story contest organised by a British
periodical by the name The Encounter. Of course, The Encounter wasn’t a known commodity
among the Gemini literati. I wanted to get an idea of the periodical before I spent a
considerable sum in postage sending a manuscript to England. In those days, the British
Council Library had an entrance with no long winded signboards and notices to make you
feel you were sneaking into a forbidden area. And there were copies of The Encounter lying
about in various degrees of freshness, almost untouched by readers. When I read the editor’s
name, I heard a bell ringing in my shrunken heart. It was the poet who had visited the Gemini
Studios — I felt like I had found a long lost brother and I sang as I sealed the envelope and
wrote out his address. I felt that he too would be singing the same song at the same time —
long lost brothers of Indian films discover each other by singing the same song in the first
reel and in the final reel of the film. Stephen Spender.
Stephen — that was his name.
Pursuit - hobby, activity
Genius - an exceptionally intelligent person
Persevering- continuing in a course of action despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
Drudge - a person made to do hard menial or dull work.
Manuscript- an author's handwritten or typed text that has not yet been published
Literati- well-educated people who are interested in literature.
Sneaking into- doing something in a secretive or stealthy way
Forbidden- not allowed; banned.
Asokamitran feels that writing cannot be performed by the intelligent because it is a task of
those who are patient and can do the hard work. A writer should not have any feelings, not be
bogged down by rejection and must be able to prepare a lengthy prose, mail it to the editor
along with a stamped envelope for return of the manuscript. For such writers, The Hindu had
advertised that there was a short story contest organised by a British publication titled The
Encounter. The writers at Gemini studio had not heard of the name. Asokamitran wanted to
know about it before he decided to spend money on mailing his entry and sending it to
England. He visited the British Council Library to get information. In those days, the
entrance of the library was simple, without signboards and notices and no one felt as if they
were entering a restricted area. At the library, he saw many copies of The Encounter. The
editor's name ring a bell in Asokamitran's heart. He felt that he had found a long lost brother
and was glad when he mailed his entry for the contest. He thought that he too would sing the
same song when he would get his mail. The editor’s name was Stephen Spender.

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’, I
paid fifty paise and picked up a copy of the book, The God That Failed. Six eminent men of
letters in six separate essays described ‘their journeys into Communism and their
disillusioned return’; Andre Gide, Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis
Fischer and Stephen Spender. Stephen Spender! Suddenly the book assumed tremendous
significance. Stephen Spender, the poet who had visited Gemini Studios! In a moment I felt a
dark chamber of my mind lit up by a hazy illumination. The reaction to Stephen Spender at
Gemini Studios was no longer a mystery. The Boss of the Gemini Studios may not have
much to do with Spender’s poetry. But not with his god that failed.
Stephen Spender- An English poet essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice
and class struggle.
Andre Gide- A French writer, humanist, moralist, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in
1947.
Richard Wright- An American writer, known for his novel Native Son and his autobiography
Black Boy.
Ignazio Silone- An Italian writer, who was the founder member of the Italian communist
party in 1921, and is known for the book. The God That Failed, authored by him.
Arthur Koestler- A Hungarian born British novelist, known for his novel Darkness at Noon.
Louis Fischer- A well known American journalist and a writer of Mahatma Gandhi’s
biography entitled
The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. The Oscar winning film Gandhi is based on this biographical
account.
Many years later, when the writer left Gemini studios, he had plenty of free time but not much
money. So, discounted goods on sale attracted him. Once he came across books being sold on
the footpath outside the post office located on the Madras Mount Road. They were priced at
50 paisa each. They were termed as student edition and thus, were offered at a special low
price because they were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. He paid
50 paisa and took a copy of the book titled The God That Failed. It had six essays by six
famous men who wrote about communism. The writers were Andre Gide, Richard Wright,
Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender. As the writer read
Stephen's name, the book became important for him because he had visited Gemini studios.
He was reminded of him and the name sounded familiar. Asokamitran thought that the boss
at Gemini studios may not be concerned with Spender's poetry.
Mrs. Rayena Reza
P.G.T. (English)
SHSSS (Boys)
A.M.U., Aligarh