PLOT OVERVIEW

Asokamitran’s job at the Gemini studio was to cut out the newspaper clippings on different subjects and store them in files. He worked in a cubicle and people usually thought that he wasn’t doing anything and delivered a lecture to him venting out their own frustrations and anger on him. He begins by telling about the make -up material that the Gemini studios bought in truckloads called Pancake.which has been used on many famous actors and actresses. Then in a humorous way, he begins critiquing the makeup department which is responsible for making people look ugly, and that there was a strike hierarchy that was followed in make -up department according to which everyone worked.

Then there was an office boy who wanted to become an actor, writer, director or lyrics writer and was a bit of a poet too. Through the office boy, he tries to show the plight of aspiring or struggling actors who end up doing a completely different job.

The main character that he talks about is Kothamanglam Subbu who along with being born a Brahmin by virtue also has many other qualities like he was tailor-made for films and film - making must be easy with him around. He was a poet too and he would come out with many alternatives to enact one scene.

Despite his good nature, he had many enemies in the studio who were jealous of him. Then he shifts to the legal adviser and how he was the one responsible to bring an end to an actress’s acting career.  There was a story department at the studio too whose boss was Subbu. Then the narrative takes a political shift where communism that was a  newly emerged ideology for the people in India is discussed.

He writes that the poets loved Gandhiji but an inclination towards his ideas and they also had a strong dislike for communism too because of what it did to the Soviet Union.

The arrival of the Moral Re-Armament Army at Gemini studios was stepped to spread anti-communist feelings in South India by presenting two plays at the studio as they knew the significance, the influence and reach of the studio. After some time another guest has visited Gemini studio who was unknown to all and welcomed by Mr. Vasan (the boss). He gave a long speech on freedom and democracy. After somedays, Asokamitran saw a British periodical named

The Encounter and he wanted to send his entry and have some information beforehand and so he visited the British Council Library. There he found the copies of The Encounter and learned that its editor was Stephen Spender the unknown visitor at the Studio.