Flamingo Chapter 6 Poets And Pancakes

The make up-room of Gemini Studios had the look of a hair cutting salon. It had incandescent lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. They radiated much heat. The dazzling lights were so troubling that it was a fiery misery of those subjected to the make-up there.

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Imp.

The people from different regions and religions working together presented a glimpse of national integration. The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. He was assisted by a Kannadiga from Dharwar and Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration in the make-up room of the Gemini Studios.

The make-up department of the Gemini Studios had an “office boy.” He had a very responsible duty. He was to do the makeup of the crowd on the crowd shooting day. For the crowd shooting he would mix his paints in a huge vessel, and slap it on the crowd players to close every pore on each face.

He joined the studios years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor, or a top screen writer or a director or a lyrics-writer. He was a little poet too. But he was disappointed that his talent was in a such a department which was fit for the barbers and perverts. So the author was praying for crowd shooting all the time.

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The author was entrusted to cut out news papers clippings on a wide variety of subjects and store them in files. Most of the people at the studios thought that he was doing next to not sitting at his desk tearing up the newspapers day in and day out. They did not think it a work worth an educated man.

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Imp.

The office was working in the makeup department but he was frustrated. Many years ago he joined the Gemini Studios in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyrics-writer. But he slapped with paint the players who played the crowd. This work was suitable for barbers and perverts So his talent was being wasted.

For his frustration the office boy always directed all his anger towards No. 2, Kothamangalam Subbu because he was solely responsible for all his woes, ignominy and neglect at the studios.

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V. Imp.

Subbu was No.2 at the Gemini Studios. He had a sense of loyalty with his principal, the producer. The Boss S.S. Vasan was the founder of Gemini Studios, Subbu used his entire creativity of his principal’s advantage. Subbu made him identify with his principal completely. If the Boss was not satisfied, Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives.

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Imp.

Subbu was No. 2 at the Gemini Studios. He had the ability to look cheerful at all times. He always work for somebody. His sense of loyalty made him use all his creativity to his principal’s advantage. He was a tailor made for films. If the producer uttered, ‘I didn’t know how to do the scene,” Subbu would suggest four ways of doing that. If the producer came out with some difficulty, Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives. He was a poet and a director in films.

He was a man who gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years. He wrote a sprawling novel, “Thillana Mohanambal.” He was an amazing actor but never aspired to the lead roles. He was a man of charitable and improvident nature.

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M. Imp.

The Story Department of Gemini Studios consisted of a lawyer and an assembly of poets and writers. The lawyer was also officially known as the legal adviser. In spite of showing his legal skills, he excelled in stupidity He brought a sad end to an extremely talented actress. The lawyer quietly switched on the recording equipment, when the actress paused for breath, the lawyer played back the recorder. When she heard her voice again she was struck dumb. That brought the end of a brief and brilliant acting career. So others referred to him the opposite.

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V. Imp.

The legal advisor was a person of cold logic in the crowd dreamers at Gemini Studios. He was a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhijities and Khadities. He looked alone and hopeless. All other of his Story Department wore Khadi shirt and Khadi dhoti, but he wore pants, a tie and sometimes a coat. He always performed his duty of the legal advisor unwittingly and would stand out from the others at the Gemini Studios.

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The Gemini Studios was set up in 1940. It had working people who from all sects and they exhibited sense of national integration. The Gemini Studios was the favourite haunt of poets and writers. It had an excellent mess. Meeting over a cup of coffee was rather a satisfying entertainment. Most of them wore Khadi and praised Gandhiji. Beyond that they had not the slightest praise for any kind of political thought. They were all averse to communism.

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It was sometime in 1952 when Frank Buchman’s Moral Rearmament Army of strong two hundred people, visited Madras. The Gemini Studios stood a warm host for them.

The MRA was a kind of counter movement to international communism. Mr. Vasan, the Boss at the Gemini Studios played into their hands. But the other people at the studios had a natural aversion to communism. So the MRA could not have found a better host in India than the Gemini Studios.

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V. Imp.

Frank Buchman’s Moral Rearmament Army staged two plays “Jotham Valley” and The Forgotten Factor” in a most professional manner. The Gemini family of 600 and the people of Madras city watched them times and again.

The message was simple but the sets and the costumes were first rate. It brought a great change from the usual collection of crowd players. They also copied the sets and costumes in the manner of Jotham Valley.

Madras and the Tamil Drama community were so greatly impressed by the MRA plays that for some years all Tamil plays had scene of sunrise and sunset with a bare white background curtain and a tune played on the flute.

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The Moral Re-armament Army visited the Gemini Studio in Madras. It presented two plays named ‘Jonathan Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ in the professional manner. Its costumes and scenes were praised by the huge crowd of Madras and the drama community. Even its tunes on the flute were copied.

The Boss of the Gemini Studios was Mr. S.S. Vasan. He founded the Gemini Studios in 1940. It was the favourite haunt of poets and those who had aversion to communism. He was the editor of the popular Tamil Weekly ‘Ananda Vikatan.’ Everyone called him ‘The Boss’ but for Subbu he was his principal.

The Gemini Studios was hosting in 1952 another visitor, a poet (or an editor) from England. The Boss read out a long speech in his honour. Then the English poet spoke. The audience were dazed and silent. No one could understand what the Englishman was talking about.

It was his accent and tone that made the people at Gemini studios understand nothing. His account caused this lack of communication between them. All left baffled including the poet.

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V. Imp.

The Englishman (the poet or the editor) visited Gemini Studios in 1952. The Boss gave him a warm welcome. A long speech was read in his honour. He spoke to the audience but they could not understand what he said. It was because of his accent. After one hour all dispersed baffled. The English poet must have felt the imbalance of his talk about the thrills and travails. The purpose of the visit seemed to be lost. That is why, his visit was referred to an unexplained mystery.

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The English visitor to the Gemini Studios was the English poet and the editor, Stephen Spender. He was the editor of the British periodical ‘The Encounter’. He was one of the six eminent men of letters who contributed six essays in the form of the book ‘The God That failed’. The book described ‘Their journeys into communism and their disillusioned return.’ During his visit at the studios he concentration themes of social injustice and class struggle.

The writer found out that ‘The Encounter’ was a British periodical. Stephen Spender the English poet was its editor. He was one of the six eminent, men of letters who contributed six essays in the form of the book ‘The God that Failed’.

It was the time when the author Asokamitran was out of the Gemini Studios. He read an announcement in ‘The Hindu’ about ‘a short story contest organised by a British periodical, “The Encounter.’ The periodical was unknown among the Gemini literati. So the author went to the British Council Library where he found copies of “The Encounter.” When he read the editor’s name he heard a bell ringing in his ears. It was the poet Stephen Spender who had visited the Gemini Studios. He felt as if he had found his long lost brother like those of Indian films.

‘The God That Failed’ is the name of a book. Six eminent men of letters has contributed their six separate essays in the book. In their essays they have described their journey into communism and their disillusioned return. They worked together but they had to return disillusioned.

The author, Asokamitran, is the member of the Gemini Studios. He gives a good account of the working and the culture of the people working in the different parts of the studios. He has created so many situations that point out gentle humour as well human foibles. In case we peep deep into the author himself, we can note that he himself worked in a cubicle. He was to tear up and take the clippings from the newspapers and to keep them in the files. Most of the people think that he does practically nothing. Even the office boy used to advise him not to waste his literary talent in a department that was fit for barbers and perverts. But the narrator always desired for crowd shouting all the time.

Further one can note that the description of the lawyers is quite humourous. Officially he was known as the legal adviser but everybody referred to him as the opposite. It was he who brought a sad end to the brilliant career of a talented actress. In the same way the office boy was not exactly a boy, he was a man in his early forties. He entered the studios to become a star actor, or a top screen writer, director or lyrics writer. He was to do the make-up work for the crowd. He was disappointed that his talent was being wasted. The visit of the poet or the editor remained as an “unexplained mystery.”

The Gemini Studios was set up in Chennai in the year 1940 for indoor shooting. It had a large team of six hundred strong workers engaged in the production of the films. In addition to the Boss S.S. Vasan, Kothamangalam Subbu was the No.2 in the Gemini Studios. He was a many sided person with a specific identity in the team. He was the right handman of the Boss and he had made himself indispensable at the Studios. His sense of loyalty had made himself identify with the ‘Boss.’ He was tailor-made for the films and whenever the film producer came out with some difficulty and said, “I do not know how to do this scene”. It was Subbu that came with so many solutions. In this way film making had become very easy with the presence of Subbu. He was a man, who gave direction and definition to the Gemini Studios. During its golden period, he was really an amazing actor who never aspired to lead roles.

He had the perennial ability to look cheerful at all times even after his flop film. He always worked hard for some body. Being loyal to his principal, he used all his creativity for him. His sprawling novel Thillana Mohanambal had a dozen of deftly carved characters which served as a source of good recreation to the audience. Besides being a poet, he was a Brahmin, comic, admirable and hospitable. He composed several truly original ‘story poems’ in folk style. Whatever role he played, he acted better than the main players. Being a charitable man he fed and supported many people at his residence still he had a few enemies. With the closure of the story department, Subbu was also out of the Gemini studio.

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V. Imp.

Gemini Studios had acquired a distinguished position not only in the sphere of film production but also for hosting a warmer stage for the visitors from England and other countries of the world. In 1952, the second visitor at Gemini studios was a poet (an editor) from England. The bosses of The Hindu and the Gemini Studios were giving him a big welcome at the studios. But no one in the studios was certain about the visitor or the purpose of his visit. At last, around four in the afternoon the poet arrived. He was a tall man, very English, very serious and very unknown to all of them. The Boss read out a long speech in his honour. Then the poet-editor spoke. His accent defeated every attempt to understand what the tall English poet was saying. So he could not have addressed more dazea and silent audience. No one knew what he was talking about.

The whole thing lasted an hour and all the audience could not communicate with him. They dispersed in utter bafflement. They could not understand what the English poet was doing at the studios. Asokamitran clears that the English poet also looked pretty baffled. He must have felt that sheer imbalance of his speech about the thrills and hardwork of an English poet. That was why, the visit remained an unexplained mystery.

The author was the most well informed of all the members of the Gemini Studios. But he had a conviction that prose writing is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius. It was for the drudges with shrunken hearts. Here “the Hindu” published a tiny announcement in ‘The Encounter’ periodical about a short story contest. The author was in a mood to participate in it by sending his manuscripts. At the studios, ‘The Encounter’ was unknown. The author went to the British Council Library and found a copy. On reading the editor’s name he became happy to know that the man had visited the Gemini Studios.

He felt like that he had found a long lost brother and sent his manuscript. Years later the author was out of the Gemini Studios. He collected a book from a heap and paid fifty paise. It was a special low-priced student edition. It was entitled ‘The God that Failed.’ It had six essays written by six eminent men of letters. The essays described their journeys into communism and their disillusioned return. Stephen Spender was one of them. He was the same poet or an editor who had once visited the Gemini Studios.

Pick up points from the following for your discussion:

* These days film production is scientific, refined and easier.

* It is done by the use of more accurate shooting equipment.

* It is computerised; use of digital cameras refine photograph impact.

* Latest scientific innovations in background scene and sound impact renders it more appealing to the cinema-goers.

* Modern techniques of photo-light sound, music, scene, motion, zoom and actions has made a spell-bound impact on the cinema lovers.

* The films produced today appear more lively, more attractive, more realistic and more natural than they had been in their early days of Gemini Studios.

* The present day actors and actresses have not even heard of pancakes. Today they use make-up materials which multiply their beauty beyond expectation.

* The present day cosmetics, the make-up material the costumes are all first rate. The film making industry has revolutionised every thing.

* Most of the film shooting today is outdoors and even on foreign lands of tourist attraction against the five percent of the early days.

* One sharp contrast is there. That is about the quality of the literature (the songs and dialogues) is going down. It is also the confusing language-Hinglish, Pinglish, Hinpunj or what.

Pick appoints for your discussion from the following:

* The Gemini Studios had an assembly of poets in its Story Department. They were responsible for the certain quality songs suiting to the situational settings of the scene.

* The poet had been writing very rich quality literature through their songs to be used in the films.

* Those songs were so greatly refined, standardised and composed that they not only enlightened the mind and soul of the audiences of those days but also those songs find the same place in the lives of the people even today.

* It was not only in the days of the cinema of the early days of Gemini studio but it is also today, that to a great extent, the success of the film on the box-office depends on its songs.

* The best quality film songs are those which sharpen and add to the literary taste of the people. The pets really created such songs those days which not only pleased them but also added to their knowledge.

* The journey of poetry from those early days of film production of the present has rendered it much adulterated. It seems to lack decency and the richness of literature development. It has rather gone cheaper and multi-cornered.

* The present day poetry hardly has the enlightening impact on the audience, which the earlier one had.

* Perhaps it all has gone commercial-even the poetry.

Pick up the points from the following for your discussion:

* Pleasure through humour has its primary place for cinema-goers. Entertainment is increased though the light and gentle humour present in the movies.

* Though humour and criticism go side by side in films, plays and dramas yet people desires the former.

* Humour creates interest and attraction and brings out the hidden talent of the character through writer’s creation.

* Criticism points the drawbacks, follies and even other improprieties.

* Criticism in film-making or in writing poetry or story, aims at enhancing the perfection in creation of the satisfying, entertaining impact.

* Criticism is such a literary tool which checks our mistakes of presentation of something.

* Criticism aims at developing balance of things.

* As without a touch of humour life appears dull and monotonous, so without criticism it becomes imbalanced.

* Honour and criticism aims at enlightening life.

* They had their place in the lives of people since he learned to live in groups and society.

* Gentle humour and directed anger are the parts of human behaviour.

From the text transitions from one idea to another are given below:

In this lesson one can find many examples of ‘Chatty style or rambling.’ Some of them can be cited for ready reference :

1. Make-up department – office boy – Subbu

2. Make-up department – Head – His assistant—local Tamils.

3. Hierarchy in the make-up department – office boy – the narrator – Subbu.

4. The Gemini Studios – the office boy – the narrator – Subbu.

5. The Gemini Studios – Moral Re-Armament Army – Communism.

6. The Boss – Stephen Spender – audience.

7. The narrator – God that Failed – Communism – Stephen Spender.

The student might pick up one interesting character from neighbourhood or among distant relatives and write on the point as under:

Nathu’s Cunningness

* A shopkeeper on the back-street of the school.

* An adult in his early thirties.

* People call him, Nathu his brand name there.

* Intermixes not only things, eatables but also words and sentences, in dealing with customers.

* It was once quite cloudy and about to burst.

* All feared to come our quite dark around.

* Customers feared to come out of his sweet-shop.

* The ship got greatly overcrowded, movement became a problem.

* He picked up metallic plate and struck it hard three-four times looking down at the floor from his seat. All became quiet.

* He terribly shouted snakes, snacks, snakes, snacks, snakes.

* People got stunned and ran out of the sweet shop.

* He was taken aback, couldn’t understand what happened.

* But by now people were caught in showers, completely drenched, ran hither and thither for shelter.

* He struck the metallic plate harder and harder again and shouted ‘no, know, knave, knave, knave.’

* Hardly any could understand his ‘knavery’ as none had the patience and courage to be around.

* Everytime the customers were mostly strangers. They hardly knew of his idiosyncracy.

It is purly a Student’s Activity.

On the basis of the twenty cartoons collected from newspapers and magazines, they must learn the interplay of words and pictures used for satirizing important people or events.

[Hint: It might be based on contrasting matters done, spoken or designed but by that time forgotten or presented otherwise like - A political leader to the villages asking for water and electricity supply, why do you worry about water and electricity, we are going to provide you telephones and computers.]

The Gemini Studios was set up in 1940 in Madras (Chennai) by Mr. S.S. Vasan, the Boss. It was one of the most influencial film producing organisations of India in the early history of Indian film making. It had a make-up room that could turn any good looking person into a hideous coloured monster by using pancakes, lotions and potions. Most of the film shooting was done mainly indoors.

The make-up room was upstairs of the building. It looked like a hair cutting salon. It had a half a dozen large mirrors. There were incandescent lights at all angles around them. Those who were subjected to make up had to face immense heat and the dazzling light. Thus they had to pass through the fiery misery in the make-up room.

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V. Imp.

The make-up department of the Gemini Studios had people from different parts of India. In the beginning the department was headed by a Bengali who was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. He was assisted by Kannadiga from Dharwar and a man from Andhra. In addition to this, there were local Tamils, a Madras Indian Christian and an Anglo- Burmese. It presented a good scene of National Integration in India.

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 made ugly the ‘second’ hero and heroine. The junior assistant did it for the main comedian and so forth. The office-boy painted the crowd players.

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The office-boy at the make-up department of the studios, was a man in his early forties. He slapped paint on the faces of players who played crowd for the film. His idea was to close every pore on their faces. He was sad as he joined the studios with the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyrics-writer but he could not fulfil his dreams. He was a bit of a poet.

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V. Imp.

Pancake was the brand name of the make-up material. Truck loads of it were brought to the Gemini Studios in Madras. Such a favourite brand was used by the actors and actresses all over the world. It could turn a decent looking person into a hideous coloured monster. It was used to look an ugly man most attractive. With its help even the acute pore in the face was filled.

It is said that the upstairs make-up department of the Gemini Studios had remained the stables of Robert Clive. In addition to this, there were other buildings in the city which he used them as his residence. It was at St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George, Robert Clive married a maiden.

At the Gemini Studios, the author Asokamitran worked in a cubicle having the French windows on two sides. He was to take up the clippings from the newspapers on a wide variety of subjects. He was to store them in files. He even had to write out in hand. He was the most known person there, most of the people at the studios thought that he was doing next to nothing. Everybody in the studio thought of giving him some work to do.

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The office boy of the make-up department joined the studios in his early forties. He had a good education and wanted to become a star actor, a top screen writer, director or a lyrics-writer but all his dreams came to a naught. So he remained frustrated and directed all his anger against Subbu No.2 at the Gemini Studios. He was very close to the Boss. He considered him as the root cause of all his woes, miseries insult and neglect. He considered him on his enemy.

Subbu had the ability to look cheerful at all times. He always worked for somebody. He was very much loyal to his Boss. He used all his energy and creativity to the advantage of his Boss. He was a tailor made for films and was a very talented actor. He was a poet and chose to address his poetry to the masses. If the producer had some difficulty, Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives. He gave definition and direction to the Gemini Studios and was at the No.2 in the Studios.

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M. Imp.

Subbu was a very intelligent person having a magnanimous personality. He used all his energy and creativity to the advantage of his Boss. His sense of loyalty made him think of his Principal’s interests. He identified himself with his Boss, Mr. S.S. Vasan. If his Boss was not satisfied with one scene, Subbu would offer him fourteen alternatives. He understood all the complicacies of film-making. So film-making was easy in his presence.

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Imp.

Besides being a Brahaman, Subbu had a separate identity as a poet. He could do more complex and higher form but he addressed his poetry generally to the masses. His literary achievements were shadowed and belittled by his success in films. He composed truly original story poems in folk refrain and diction.

Subbu was a man of charitable nature and anyone who came in his close contact, he always showered his genuine love and goodness. His house was a permanent residence of dozens near and dear ones. Being very close to the Boss, people were jealous of him. Some called him a sycophant for his sweet manners. He always said nice things about everything. The make-up department would do the direst things for him.

In reality Subbu was a multi-phased personality. His sprawling novel “Thillana Mohanambal” had dozens of very cleverly moulded characters. In it Subbu has created very successfully the mood and manner of the Devadasis of the early 20th century. He had enlivened the traits of the character in the novel.

There was a legal adviser at the story department. He was a good for nothing fellow. Everybody referred to him as the opposite since he was misfit there. Through his foolishness, he spoiled the career of a brilliant actress. Once the actress blew over on the sets. He quietly switched on the recording equipment. When the actress paused, he played back the recording. Hearing her voice again, she was dumb struck. So unwittingly the lawyer ruined the bright career of a talented actress.

The lawyer did not share anything with the other members of the Studios. Almost all the members wore a Khadi dhoti and a white khadi shirt. But the lawyer wore pants, a tie and sometimes a coat. He looked alone and different from others. He was a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers. He was a ‘neutral’ man in group of Gandhijies since all worshipped Gandhi.

The Gemini Studios had been a hubub of activities. It had an excellent mess that served coffee at all times. Those were the days of prohibition. So meeting over a cup of coffee was a satisfying entertainment and a pre-requisite for poetry. The Studios radiated leisures. Not only the clerk, the office boys and others came there to recreate with poetry and praise Gandhiji. So it had become the favourite haunt of the people.

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Imp.

The author had pre-conceived ideas about a communist. He thought him (a communist) as a Godless man who had no love for his son or wife. He had no regret about killing his own parents. He was always out to cause and spread violence and unrest among the innocent and ignorant people.

Most of the people at the Studios had no praise for any political thought except they worshipped Gandhiji. So they had no affiliation of any kind of political thought. They were all averse to ‘communism.’ A communist was a godless man who had no love for his son or wife. He had no regret about killing his own parents. He was always out to cause and spread violence and unrest among the innocent and ignorant people.

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V. Imp.

Frank Buchman’s Moral Rearmament Army of two hundred strong people visited Gemini Studios in Madras in 1952. They were from twenty nationalities. They presented two plays ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor, in a, professional manner. They gave simple and plain sermons to counter international commission. Its sets and costumes were of first rate. It left great impact on Madras and Tamil Drama community. They were copied for many years.

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M. Imp.

The English poet-editor was a tall man. He was given a big welcome at the studios by the boss. A long speech was read in his honour. He spoke but what his accent defeated all efforts to understand what he was saying. All dispersed in bafflement. His visit became an unexplained mystery. Later at British Council Library, Asokamitran found that the visitor poet was Stephen Spender, the editor of the British Weekly ‘The Encounter’.

Author Asokamitran has the belief that prose-writing is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius. Its pre-requisite is patience, persistence, and perserverance. Rejection doesn’t discourage the writer, he soon prepares author fresh copy and posts it to another editor.

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V. Imp.

The author of ‘Poet and Pancakes’, Asokamitran picked up one copy of the low-priced book The God That Failed’ for fifty paise from the footpath of Madras Mount Road Post Office. It contained six essays written by six eminent men of letters including Stephen Spender. It detailed their journeys into communism and their disillusioned return from communism.

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V. Imp.

The Moral Re-armament Army visited the Gemini Studios in Madras in 1957. It presented two plays named ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ in the professional manner. They attracted a huge crowd and the Gemini family saw it over again and again. Its constumes and sets were of first rate. The scenes of sunrise and sunset with white background and a tune on the flute were copied by the drama community of the Tamils.

The Moral Re-Armament army visited Madras in 1952. The MRA was a sort of counter movement to international communism. The other people at the Gemini Studio had a natural aversion to communism. But Mr. Vasan, the boss played into their hands. Therefore, the MRA was welcomed at the Gemini Studio.

The MRA staged two plays ‘Jonathan Valley’ and “The Forgotten Factor” in the most professional manner. The Gemini Studio was influenced by them. This is clear because they watched them time and again. They copied the sets and costumes in the manner of Jonathan Valley.

The office boy of the make-up department of the Gemini studies had to do the make up of the crowd on the crowd shooting days. He closed every pore on their faces. His expectations were belied. He could not become a star actor, a top screen writer, a director or a lyrics writer. The department was fit for barbers, and perverts. So the author was praying for crowd-shooting all the time because the office boy (a bore) kept advising him not to waste his literary tolent there whenever he was free.

The Gemini Studios of film production has never confined its activities within the four walls of the studios but it also gives a fine glimpse of outside world as well. The production department has two prominent divisions, namely the make-up department and the story department. In the make-up room there were incandescent lights fixed at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. It had a team of workers from chief make-up man to the office boy who slapped the crowd players with lotions, potions and pancakes. Truck loads of pancakes were used by the actors and actresses like the Bollywood and Hollywood characters. Pancake was the popular brand name there. There was a strict hierarchy of make-up man.

The story department had its significant contribution. There was a legal adviser duly accompanied with an assembly of poets and writers. They were engaged in creating story, songs, social and other work. There was directors, actors, actresses, cameramen, lightmen, boys, etc. In those days, it was mainly the indoor shooting. The Boss had a strict vigil at every aspect. He was assisted by Kothamangalam Subbu, who was an indispensable person for the Studios.

In addition to this, the Gemini Studios had become the favourite haunt of the poet and other visitors because of its decent mess that served coffee till the late at night. The Studios hosted the visit of Moral Re-Armament Army and a poet-cum-editor Stephen Spender. The MRA was a team of two hundred strong men who exhibited two plays in the most professional way. The MRA was a counter movement to international communism but the people at the Studios were averse in this ideology. The visit of Spender also became an unexplained mystery for all.

The Gemini Studios was located in Chennai in the upstairs of a building which believed to have been the stables of Robert Clive. It consisted of many departments like make-up department, story department and so on. It was a team work that produced films and more than six hundred people worked there. The make-up room was very large and it had the look of a hair cutting salon. There were incandescent lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. The light radiated a lot of heat. Thus the make-up men had to pass a very tough time amidst fiery heat and dazzling light. The department bought truck loads of a make-up material called pancakes which was used to paint the faces of the players.

The chief of the make-up department made the chief actors and actresses with make-up material. His senior assistant did the same for the second hero and heroine. The junior assistant did for the comedian and so on. The office boy was for the players who played the crowd. This team of make-up men could turn any decent looking boy or girl into a hideous monster. It was an indispensable wing that maintained its strict hierarchy.

The Gemini Studios was set up with a team of 600 people in 1940. It had set up its identity in film production and it touched upon varied aspects. In his book, My year with Boss, the author Asokamitran had described Subbu at the No.2 at the Gemini Studios. Being a many sided genuis, he was an indispensable man for the studios. He served his Boss and the organisation from the core of his heart. He did not have much education but his loyalty had made him identify with his Principal or the Boss. He used all his energy and creativity to the advantage of his Boss and his company. He understood all the complexities and technicalities of film-making. In case the director was not satisfied, Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives. He was a many sided genious. During its golden period, Subbu gave a new direction and definition to the Gemini Studios.

Being a poet, he wrote his poetry for the masses. His sprawling novel ‘Thillana Mohanambal’ had dozens of lovely characters on the mood and manner of the Devadasis of early 20th century. Whatever roles Subbu played, he acted better than the main actor. Subbu was of a charitable and cheerful personality. He fed and supported dozens of near and dear ones at his residence but he had his enemies. With the closure of the story department, Subbu also lost his job.

The author’s use of gentle humour and mild satire coupled with painting out human weaknesses makes this lesson quite interesting. He has a chatty style which quickly changes from one thought to the other. The make-up department has people from different states. The make-up man could change into a decent looking person look ugly like a monster. It was done so that they could be made presentable in the movies. The office -boy was a bit of poet. The author would pray for crowd shooting all the time to save himself from the office-boy’s ‘epics’.

Subbu was a many-sided genius and he remained cheerful all the time. He was a tailor-made for films and always worked for someone else. The legal adviser had many subtle touches of humour. The moral Re-Armament Army was welcomed at the Gemini Studio and it brought a welcome change from their routine. The English poet remained a mystery for all. Even the baffled reaction of the staff at the Gemini Studio arouses our humour. These people are ogainst communism and they are satired and did nothing to oppose it.

At the Gemini Studios, writers and the poets were the members of the Story Department besides a lawyer. He was its official member and was known as the legal adviser. But everybody referred to him as the opposite, i.e. the illegal adviser. They had doubts over his legal skills and abilities as he lacked common sense. All the members of the story department wore Khadi Dhoti and an oversized Kurta. But this person wore trousers and a tie. Sometimes he came in a coat and thus he looked odd and helpless. He was a cold man of lonely nature in the company of the dreamers. He was quite near to the boss and allowed to produce a film. It flopped. One day the Boss closed down the story department and the lawyer too lost his job.

It so happened when an extremely talented actress had to blow over on the sets. One day when she was on the sets, she lost her temper. She was speaking in an angry mood with the speaker. Immediately the lawyer switched on the recording equipment. When she paused for breath, the lawyer played both the recorders. On hearing her tirade against the producer, she was much stunned at the incident. There was nothing offensive in her words. Yet she was much frightened. She never recovered from the terror. After that she never appeared on the stage. This finished her bright career.

Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament Army was a dramatic company. It visited the Gemini Studios in 1952. In fact it was a sort of counter movement to International Communism. It was a professional company with two hundred people of at least twenty nationalities. There were all of different hues and sizes so it was called an international circus. In addition to visiting different countries, it came to Chennai in 1952 and stayed at the Gemini Studios.

The Gemini family of six hundred people was much pleased to host them as it would be a pleasant change from crowd players. The MRA presented two plays “Jotham Valley” and “The Forgotten Factor.” The plays were simple but the costumes and the sets were superb. The plays were staged in the most professional way with a simple message. The plays were exhibited several times which attracted a huge crowd. The Tamil and Madras community could not remain untouched from their influences. The Jotham Valley presented beautiful scenes of sunrise and sunset. They were presented on a bare stage with a white curtain background with a tune of a flute. The Tamil theatre imitated it. Even then the MRA failed to have any negative impact because of its anti-communist background.

The Gemini Studios was established in Madras in 1940 by S.S. Vasan the editor of Tamil Weekly ‘Ananda Vikatan’. Since then it has been doing a very remarkable service to the people of India by producing quality films. It had attained worldwide recognition.

Sometime in 1952, Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-armament Army was given a very warm welcome at the studios. The two hundred strong people of the M.R.A. from more than twenty nations, presented two plays. ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor.’ Their real aim was to counter internal communism by simple and plain sermons. The another visitor, months after, was a poet-editor Stephan Spender from England. He actually aimed at the introduction of his British weekly ‘The Encounter’.

Gemini Studios was the favourite hunt of the people-the poets, writers and others. Most of them wore Khadi-clad and praised Gandhi and the Prohibition policy of the Congress rule. They enjoyed poetry over a cup of coffee. They had the faintest affiliation to any political thought. Over a cup of coffee they discussed communism. All the visitors at Gemini Studios talked against communism over a cup of coffee. A communist was an atheist, having no love for son or wife. He would not repent for killing his own parents and children. He was always planning to spread unrest and cause violence befooling innocent, peace-loving people. So the Gemini Studios was a favourite haunt for people.

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V. Imp.

In 1952, an Englishmen came to visit the Gemini Studios. He was both a poet and an editor. Huge preparations were made for his welcome but none was able to tell anything about the poet. Even the staff at the Gemini Studios showed its indifference. Some remembered that he was an editor rather than a poet. It was because the topman of the Hindu were taking the initiative. Side by side the Boss Mr. Vasan too was an editor of Tamil weekly named “Ananda Vikatan”. But the people at the Gemini Studios made arrangements for the speaker due to their Boss.

The Englishmen arrived and the Gemini Studios hosted him. The Boss read out a long speech in his honour and talked of freedom and democracy. After that the Englishman too delivered a speech but none was able to follow him due to his accent. The purpose of his visit seemed to be lost and the same remained an unexplained mystery. Later the author visited the British Council Library, and came to know that the Englishmen was Stephen Spender, an editor of the Encounter. It was learnt that he wrote an essay on his disillusioned journey in communism. This solved the mystery as well since he had visited the Gemini Studio.

Madras 24th November,

It was few months after Frank Buchman’s MRA’s visit telephone lines of the my big boss started buzzing. Once again the whole shooting stage of Gemini Studios was cleared to welcome the visitor — a poet from England. Our Gemini Staff knew or heard only of Wordsworth, Tennyson, Keats, Shelly, Byron and Eliot, we kept guessing who the visiting poet was now!

The top men of The Hindu took the initiative S.S. Vasan, The Boss of Gemini Studios an editor of the Tamil Weekly Ananda Niketan was giving him a big welcome. I thought that the Englishman was not a poet but an editor. That was all known at the studios. At least around four in the afternoon, the poet (or the editor) arrived. He was a tall English man, very serious and of course, unknown to all of us. The Boss read out a long speech in his honour almost in general terms. Then the poet spoke before the patient audience. But no one knew what he was talking about. His accent, his tone defeated all attempts to understand what he was saying. The whole thing lasted about an hour. All left confused. The poet also looked pretty confused feeling imbalance of his talk. His visit remained an unexplained mystery for all. I will never hope to meet such a cranky fellow in my life.

Asokamitran

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V. Imp.

Sophie had requested her brother Geoff not to tell anything about her meeting with Casey. When Jansie asked Sophie about her meeting with Danny, Sophie was much amazed. She cursed Geoff for it because Jansie was ‘nosey’ and would spread the facts everywhere in the neighbourhood. In case her father knew about it, there would be a great row which her mother did not like. Sophie felt relaxed that Geoff did not tell about the date bit. She requested Jansie to keep it a secret.