Poets and Pancakes - Summary

The Gemini Studios of Madras was one of India's pioneering and prominent film-producing organizations of India. This prominent institute was established in the 1940s. This institute was founded by one of the most intelligent and talented S.S. Vasan and has a staff of 600 people. Here, we are going to learn about the author's view of this studio and the film industry. The Pancake was a make-up brand used by Gemini Studios. Sahitya Academy award-winning Tamil writer Ashokamitran worked for the Gemini Studios from 1952 to 1966. 

The chapter Poet and Pancakes was taken from “My Years with Boss” written by Asokamitran. Through this story, Asokamitran talks about many notions about the film industry, particularly in India. 

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Cinema in India is quite popular. Every year, India produces more than 1800 films and all people enjoy watching them. People often focus on what is shown on the screen and are mostly mesmerized by the actors or actresses. But they hardly know that for making a film, you need a lot of people to work backstage, behind the camera. There is not a single person whose importance can be ignored in the filmmaking process. Starting from the makeup man to designers, producers to spotlight boys, everyone has their importance.

If all are going to be perfect in their work, then only a proper film can be formed. For a film, you need a lot of people working under production. For legal work, you should have contact with a lawyer, then for makeup, you need to have an expert makeup artist. You should indeed have a producer, spotlight boys, makeup artists, guards, director, cameraman, and so on working behind the camera. Although people tend to like the actors and actresses who are acting on the screen, they should be well aware of the fact that behind a successful film, there are not only actors that have their importance but also a number of people who work backstage.

Summary of Poets and Pancakes

The story “Poets and Pancakes” is a passage from Asokamitran’s book “My Years with Boss”. Asokamitran talks about his days at the Gemini Studio. The Gemini Studio produced many films, which impacted the aspect of Indian life. Here, Asokamitran talks about a trendy make-up brand named Pancake. This material was bought and used in the studio. He also names the few actresses who used the brand. The Gemini studios used the pancake brand excessively and ordered truckloads of their commodities. 

He talks about the office boy whose task was to slap paint onto the faces of the players at the time of crowd-shooting. He states that the office boy once yearned to be a director, actor, screenwriter, or lyricist. However, he blamed his disgrace on Subbu. 

In those days, the author worked inside a cubicle and had the job of gathering newspaper cuttings which, according to others, was unimportant. Thus, the office boy would come to bother him with his complaints. The office boy was probably jealous of Subbu’s growth. Subbu was very close to his boss. When the boss had any problem in doing a scene in a film, Subbus could recommend several practical ideas. As Subbu was Brahmin, the author thought he had the upper hand. Though Subbu was always beside his boss, he was also a member of the story department. Besides poets and writers in the story department, there existed a lawyer too. Formally he was known as a legal adviser. However, people called him the opposite of it. Once the legal adviser unconsciously destroyed the career of a talented actress.

In the story of Poet and Pancakes, the narrator talks about another guest who visited Gemini Studio. He was an Englishman. Some thought him to be a poet or an editor. The Boss, Mr. Vasan, greeted the Englishman. He read out a long speech expressing freedom and democracy. Then the Englishman conversed. His accent baffled everyone. They could not understand the purpose of his visit, and it remained a mystery. 

Years later, when the writer left the Gemini studios, he did not have much money but had much free time. So, discounted goods on sale interested him. Once the writer came across a book that had six essays written by six famous men who wrote about communalism. The authors of the book were Richard Wright, Louis Fischer, and Stephen Spender. As the writer read Stephen’s name, it reminded him of the days when Spenders visited Gemini Studios. 

Finally, in the summary of Poets and Pancakes, we can see the notions of the film industry, particularly in India.

Talking about Indian cinema, we receive a lot of films every year but the success of a movie solely depends upon the other people working backstage. If these people are not there, then it is not even possible for us to have good films. India has films in multiple languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kennedy, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, and so on. The Indian film industry is a global enterprise. Indian movies are famous all around the world and people love to watch them.

Conclusion

"Poets and Pancakes" is a celebration. It celebrates the power of imagination, the transformative magic of art, and the enduring spirit of human creativity. It reminds us that even in the most ordinary jobs, there's a spark of wonder waiting to be discovered. And just like a plate of fluffy pancakes, it leaves us feeling warm, satisfied, and with a lingering taste of the sweet, bittersweet poetry of life.

So, the next time you watch a film, remember the poets who gave it its story, the make-up artists who brought it to life, and the countless others who poured their hearts and souls into creating that magical experience on screen. Remember that behind every glittering frame lies a world of passion, dedication, and the unwavering belief in the power of dreams, a world where poets and pancakes come together to weave the magic of cinema.