Poets and Pancakes

Poets and Pancakes
Leading film- Asokamitran ,

Established in Founded by SS
Gemini Studios producing studio the author
the 1940s Vasan
of the times worked there
Make- up Department
The building was Looked like a hair The make-up men

once upon a time cutting salon with came from all parts
Robert- Clive’s large mirrors and of India ( e.g. of
stables bright lights national integration)
Chief make –up man His senior assistant

Hierarchy was strictly
did the make-up of did the make-up of
followed in its
the main hero/ the ‘ second’ hero
running
heroine and heroine
Applied make-up to the actors who played the
‘crowd’
Was a man in his forties
Office- boy Had dreams of becoming a star actor/ director/

screen writer
Believed he didn’t make it big because of

Kothamangalam Subbu whom he considered to
be his arch enemy
Kothamangalam Subbu
radiated positivity /
He was No. 2 in Gemini
didn’t have much of a optimism at all times ,
Studios during its golden
formal education even when a film was a
years
flop
very creative; came up was a well-known poet

tailor- made for films(best
with umpteen ways to who wrote poetry for the
suited to make films)
shoot a particular scene masses
Renowned novelist too

( His Magnum opus was
Thillana Mohanabal)
The lawyer in Gemini Studios
He was a member of the officially known as the Was responsible for

Story Department which legal adviser( though bringing the acting career
comprised a motley group everyone called him the of a brilliant actress to an
of writers and poets opposite) end
He was an anomaly in the Unlike others who wore Neutral in his political
dept which consisted of khadi he wore western ideologies ( all the rest
creative writers and poets attire( pants/ tie/ coat) were followers of Gandhi)
Kothamangalam Subbu contd…
He was an amazing
charitable/
actor as well ( only He acted better than
philanthropic and
did supporting/ the lead actors
loving to one an all
subsidiary roles )
Generous to a fault:
His home was always
didn’t realise how
open to friends and improvident
much money he was
relatives
spending on others
Gemini studios was the favourite haunt of poets, who
seemed to have a lot of leisure time
These poets would meet at the studio canteen ( mess)
Political which served excellent coffee late into the night
Most wore Khadi and were followers of Gandhi
leanings of
the staff at All of them were against communism
Gemini They had outrageous notions ( ideas) about communism
Studios To them a communist was a godless man, with no love for

his family or spouse;
A communist wouldn’t think twice about murdering his
parents or children
Theatre Group that toured Madras in 1952
Consisted of 200 members from 20 different countries
Presented 2 plays during their visit to Madras

All about the
Moral Extremely professional in their presentation of the plays ‘ Jotham Valley’
Re-armament and ‘ The Forgotten factor’
Army ( MRA)
Sets and costumes were par excellence
The Tamil drama community were particularly impressed, and copied the
MRA sets for sunrise and sunset in their plays
Later Asokamitran learnt that MRA was a counter – movement to

communism ( their hidden agenda)
• Staff at Gemini heard that a poet ( or an
editor) was visiting them from England
Stephen • Wasn’t an editor with any of the well-
known dailies
Spender’s • He was tall, very English, very serious and
completely unknown to the staff
visit to • He spoke for an hour ; the audience sat
through dazed and silent since they did not
Gemini understand what he was talking about
• His English accent was indecipherable to
Studios the audience

• His entire visit remained an unexplained
mystery
“ I heard a bell ringing in my shrunken heart.”
The Hindu announced a

To know more about the
short story contest organised Ashokamitran decided to
periodical, he visited the
by a British Periodical called participate in this contest
British Council Library
The Encounter
This was because, it was the

same poet/ editor who had He found out that the name
It felt as if he was being
visited Gemini studios a few of the editor of The
reunited with a long –lost
months earlier and delivered Encounter was Stephen
brother ( Hindi movie style)
an hour-long lecture to a Spender
dazed audience
• Ashokamitran comes across an American
paperback being sold at a discounted price on the
footpath outside the Madras Mt. Rd. Post Office
• It was a special low-priced student edition to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Russian
More about Revolution

• The name of the book was The God That failed
Stephen • 6 famous writers had contributed their essays for

the book
• Common theme running through all essays: How
Spender they had ventured into communism only to be

completely disillusioned by the ideology
• And one of the writer-contributors in this book was
Stephen Spender
• Now , Asokamitran realises Spender was invited to
Gemini Studios for his anti- communist ideology!

Poets and Pancakes

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Poets and Pancakes

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Poets and Pancakes

Leading film- Asokamitran ,

The building was Looked like a hair The make-up men

Chief make –up man His senior assistant

Was a man in his forties

Office- boy Had dreams of becoming a star actor/ director/

Believed he didn’t make it big because of

very creative; came up was a well-known poet

Renowned novelist too

He was a member of the officially known as the Was responsible for

Gemini They had outrageous notions ( ideas) about communism

Studios To them a communist was a godless man, with no love for

Consisted of 200 members from 20 different countries

Presented 2 plays during their visit to Madras

Later Asokamitran learnt that MRA was a counter – movement to

Studios the audience

The Hindu announced a

This was because, it was the

More about Revolution

Stephen • 6 famous writers had contributed their essays for

Spender they had ventured into communism only to be

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