Flamingo Poets and Pancakes - Revision Notes

 CBSE Class 12 English Core

Revision Notes
Flamingo Chapter-6
Poets and Pancakes

GIST OF THE LESSON

  • The Gemini studio owned by S.S.Vasan was one of the most influential film Producing Organizations of India in the early years of Indian film making industry.
  • The make-up department of studios looked like a hair cutting salon.
  • Had lights at all angles, half dozen mirrors, incandescent lights.
  • The artists were subjected to misery while application of make-up.
  • The make-up department, consisting of people from different parts of the country, was a unique example of National Integration.
  • A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up dept.
  • Narrator worked in a cubicle tearing newspapers, thought he was free, people barged in always.
  • Kothamangalam Subbu, no.2 at Gemini studios, was always cheerful, tailor made for films, endowed with great creativity, charitable yet had enemies.
  • He was loyal and faithful, very close to boss.
  • He could offer various alternatives for how a scene could be invented. Subbu, in fact, gave direction to Gemini studios during its golden years.
  • The story Department of the studios comprising of a lawyer, officially known as legal adviser but was treated the opposite. Once he brought a sad end to the career of a brilliant and promising young actress.
  • Story dept wound up-lawyer lost job.
  • A favorite haunt for poets.
  • Most people wore Khadi, worshipped Gandhi, knew nothing about politics.
  • Against communism, believed that a communist was a godless man.
  • A warm welcome was accorded to moral Re Armament Army (MRA) by the Gemini studios. They presented two plays ‘Jothan Valley’ and “The forgotten Factor” which had a great influence on Tamil drama.
  • THE MRA was a strong countermovement against communism.
  • The Gemini studios again got an opportunity to welcome an English poet or an Editor. But the people of Gemini Studio could not comprehend the purpose as well as the language of the poet or editor, so his visit was a mystery.
  • Later on, he came to know that the visitor was the editor of “The Encounter” and his name was Stephen Spender.
  • “The God That Failed” was the collection of six essays by six men of letters including Spender. These essays described separately their journey into communism and their disillusioned return.
  • Mystery was solved.