Prose: Poets and Pancakes

Gemini Studios and 'Pancake'

Gemini Studios was a pioneer of Indian filmmaking in Madras. 'Pancake' was the brand name of the heavy make-up generously applied to actors to make them look ugly in order to look white in the studio's harsh lighting.

The Make-up Department Hierarchy

The department functioned like a national integration camp, staffed by people from different regions and religions, working under a strict hierarchy based on the status of the actors they made up.

Asokamitran's Role (The Boy)

The author's job was to cut out newspaper clippings on various subjects and store them in files, a seemingly trivial task that made him a well-informed observer of studio life.

The Office Boy

A frustrated man in his early forties who had joined the studios hoping to become a star actor, screenwriter, director, or lyricist, and blamed Subbu for all his professional failures.

Kothamangalam Subbu

Number Two at Gemini Studios, a remarkably versatile, cheerful, and loyal man who could write poetry, solve problems on film sets, and act effortlessly.

The Moral Re-Armament (MRA) Army

An international anti-communist theatre group from Frank Buchman that visited Gemini Studios and staged two plays, leaving a deep and lasting impact on Tamil drama.