Previous Year Questions: Poets and Pancakes - Class 10 PDF Download

Extract-Based Questions

Extract 1: Those were the days of mainly indoor shooting, and only five percent of the film was shot outdoors. I suppose the sets and studio lights needed the girls and boys to be made to look ugly in order to look presentable in the movie. 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 ‘second hero and heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian and so forth. The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy. (Even the make-up department of the Gemini Studio had an office boy!) On the days when there was crowd-shooting, you could see him mixing his paint in a giant vessel and slapping it on the crowd players. The idea was to close every pore on the surface of the face in the process of applying make-up.

(i) What does the writer mean by the phrase "indoor shooting" in the first line of the extract?

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​Ans: The phrase "indoor shooting" refers to filming scenes inside a studio using artificial sets and lighting, as opposed to outdoor locations, which was common at Gemini Studios.

(ii) Pick up one sentence from the extract that reflects the sarcastic tone of the writer.

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​Ans: “Even the make-up department of the Gemini Studio had an office boy!” reflects the sarcastic tone, mocking the presence of an office boy in such a specialized department.

(iii) The hierarchy in the make-up department puts the ‘office boy’ in the ________ (lowest/top) rung of the ladder.

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​Ans: lowest

(iv) Complete the following suitably: On the days when there was a "crowd-shooting". By the phrase "crowd-shooting, the author refers to ________.

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​Ans: By the phrase "crowd-shooting," the author refers to filming scenes involving a large group of background actors or extras.

(v) Choose the correct option: "...mix his paint in a giant vessel and slapping it on the crowd players." The choice of words like ‘paint’ and ‘slapping’ by the author reflects. 
(a) author’s intention to degrade the office boy’s role in the make-up department. 
(b) the office boy’s lack of seriousness. 
(c) author’s sarcastic and humorous writing style. 
(d) author’s dislike of the office boy.

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Ans: (c) author’s sarcastic and humorous writing style.

(vi) Choose the correct option: What does the following line from the extract showcase? "A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up department." 
(a) The office boy took all the decisions in the make-up department. 
(b) A system of ranks according to importance of work was followed. 
(c) Everyone was given an equal share of work in the department. 
(d) Nepotism was prevalent in the make-up department.

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Ans: (b) A system of ranks according to importance of work was followed.

Extract 2: At last, around four in the afternoon, the poet (or the editor) arrived. He was a tall man, very English, very serious and of course very unknown to all of us. Battling with half a dozen pedestal fans on the shooting stage, The Boss read out a long speech. It was obvious that he too knew precious little about the poet (or the editor). The speech was all in the most general terms but here and there it was peppered with words like ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’. Then the poet spoke. He couldn’t have addressed a more dazed and silent audience no one knew what he was talking about and his accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying.

(i) Give a brief description of the editor.

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​Ans: The editor is described as a tall, very English, serious, and unknown man, whose presence and speech were incomprehensible to the audience at Gemini Studios.

(ii) The Boss’s long speech and the visitor’s serious demeanour indicates _____.

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​Ans: The Boss’s long speech and the visitor’s serious demeanour indicate a formal but superficial attempt to impress, masking their lack of knowledge about the visitor.

(iii) The poet addressed _____ (a puzzled/an enthusiastic) audience.

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​Ans: a puzzled

(iv) What, added as a last straw, made the poet’s speech difficult to understand?

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​Ans: The poet’s strong English accent, combined with the audience’s unfamiliarity with his subject, made his speech difficult to understand.

(v) Select the textual option that is closest to indicating a sense of unfamiliarity about the poet (or the editor). 
(a) He was a tall man, very English. 
(b) Battling with half a dozen pedestal fans on the shooting stage. 
(c) Very serious and of course very unknown to all of us. 
(d) The Boss read out a long speech.

Ans: (c) Very serious and of course very unknown to all of us.

(vi) Why was the speech by The Boss in ‘most general terms’?

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​Ans: The Boss’s speech was in general terms because he knew little about the poet, using vague words like “freedom” and “democracy” to cover his lack of specific knowledge.

Extract 3: The make-up department of the Gemini Studios was in the upstairs of a building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables The make-up room had the look of a hair-cutting salon with lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. They were all incandescent lights, so you can imagine the fiery misery of those subjected to make-up. The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who became too big for the studio and left.

(i) The phrase ‘fiery misery’ in the given text refers to the ______ of the actors. 
(a) realization 
(b) discomfort 
(c) expectation 
(d) confusion

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Ans: (b) discomfort

(ii) Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank. The description of the make-up room is a/an (criticism/admiration) of the make-up department in Gemini Studios.

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​Ans: criticism

(iii) Complete the following suitably: The historical significance of the make-up room was ________.

​Ans: The historical significance of the make-up room was its location in a building believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables.

(iv) With reference to the given extract, what does the reference to ‘half a dozen large mirrors’ suggest?

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​Ans: The reference to ‘half a dozen large mirrors’ suggests the make-up room’s resemblance to a hair-cutting salon, emphasizing its cluttered, intense environment for applying heavy make-up.

(v) Select the textual option that is closest to indicating a sense of discomfort. 
(a) The make-up room had the look of a hair-cutting salon. 
(b) The make-up department was first headed by a gang of nationally integrated make-up men. 
(c) They were all incandescent lights, so you can imagine the fiery misery. 
(d) The make-up department head was at first a Bengali, who soon quit.

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Ans: (c) They were all incandescent lights, so you can imagine the fiery misery.

(vi) What was the fate of the head of the make-up department?

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​Ans: The head of the make-up department, a Bengali, became too successful for Gemini Studios and left to pursue bigger opportunities.

Extract 4: The make-up room had the look of a hair-cutting salon with lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. They were all incandescent lights, so you can imagine the fiery misery of those subjected to make-up. The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who became too big for a studio and left. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and the usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration long before A.I.R. and Doordarshan began broadcasting programmes on national integration. This gang of nationally integrated make-up men could turn any decent-looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster with the help of truck-loads of pancake and a number of other locally made potions and lotions.

(i) Why does the author compare the make-up room to a salon?

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​Ans: The author compares the make-up room to a salon due to its setup with large mirrors and bright incandescent lights at all angles, resembling a hair-cutting salon’s intense, reflective environment.

(ii) Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank. The term ‘crimson hued monster’ refers to the make-up applied to actors to make them look ugly so that they look (beautiful/terrified) on screen.

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​Ans: beautiful

(iii) Complete the following sentence appropriately. The make-up team’s ability to transform actors reveals two things about their skills: First, their ________ and second, their use of ________.

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​Ans: The make-up team’s ability to transform actors reveals two things about their skills: First, their expertise in application and second, their use of heavy cosmetics.

(iv) Give textual evidence to prove that the make-up team reflected national integration.

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​Ans: The make-up team included a Maharashtrian, a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese, and local Tamils, showcasing a diverse, nationally integrated group.

(v) Explain the phrase ‘fiery misery’ with reference to the given extract.

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​Ans: The phrase ‘fiery misery’ refers to the intense discomfort actors endured under the hot incandescent lights in the make-up room, exacerbated by heavy make-up application.

(vi) What does the following line from the extract showcase? "With the help of truck-loads of pancake and a number of other locally made potions and lotions." 
(a) creativity 
(b) normalcy 
(c) exaggeration 
(d) simplicity

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Ans: (c) exaggeration

Short Answer Questions (40-50 words)

Q1: Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios?

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​Ans: Kothamangalam Subbu was considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios due to his versatile talents as a poet, writer, and filmmaker, his loyalty to the boss, and his ability to solve problems creatively, making him indispensable.

Q2: What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?

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​Ans: The lack of communication stemmed from the Englishman’s incomprehensible accent and obscure subject matter, which baffled the audience, who were unfamiliar with his identity and purpose, leading to a dazed response.

Q3: Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as an unexplained mystery?

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​Ans: The Englishman’s visit is an unexplained mystery because no one at Gemini Studios knew his identity or purpose, his speech was incomprehensible, and the boss’s vague speech added to the confusion, leaving the event’s significance unclear.

Q4: What was the link between the makeup department and national integration as described in "Poets and Pancakes"?

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​Ans: The make-up department reflected national integration through its diverse team, including a Maharashtrian, Kannadiga, Andhra, Indian Christian, Anglo-Burmese, and Tamils, working together harmoniously long before national integration was promoted by media like A.I.R. and Doordarshan.

Long Answer Questions (120-150 words)

Q1: How do the peddler from "The Rattrap" and ‘the office boy’ from "Poets and Pancakes" compare in terms of their frustration, status, and grudges against others.

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Ans: In The Rattrap, the peddler, a homeless vagabond, is frustrated by poverty, viewing the world as a rattrap, and holds grudges against society, leading to deceit like stealing the crofter’s money. His low status fuels his cynicism. In Poets and Pancakes, the office boy, a low-ranking studio worker, is frustrated by unfulfilled ambitions to become a star, blaming favoritism for his failure, harboring grudges against studio insiders. Both occupy marginal statuses—peddler as an outcast, office boy as a subordinate—and resent those they perceive as privileged. However, the peddler’s frustration leads to criminal acts, while the office boy’s results in vocal resentment. The peddler’s redemption through Edla’s kindness contrasts with the office boy’s persistent bitterness, showing different responses to societal exclusion and personal dissatisfaction. 

Q2: How do the characters of Umberto Eco from "The Interview" and Subbu from "Poets and Pancakes" compare in terms of their resourcefulness?

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​Ans: Umberto Eco in The Interview and Kothamangalam Subbu in Poets and Pancakes exhibit remarkable resourcefulness. Eco, a scholar and novelist, maximizes his time by writing in “interstices,” producing extensive academic and creative work, blending philosophy with popular fiction. His resourcefulness lies in his disciplined, multifaceted productivity. Similarly, Subbu, Gemini Studios’ No. 2, is resourceful through his versatility as a poet, writer, and filmmaker, solving production challenges creatively and tailoring scripts to actors’ strengths. Both leverage their talents across domains—Eco in academia and literature, Subbu in filmmaking and poetry—adapting to their environments. Eco’s intellectual resourcefulness contrasts with Subbu’s practical, studio-based ingenuity, but both excel in using limited resources effectively. Their loyalty—Eco to his craft, Subbu to his boss—enhances their ability to innovate, making them indispensable in their respective fields.