Patol Babu, Film Star (Notes 2017)

Introduction:

‘Patol Babu: Film Star’ is a story of an endless struggle of an old enthusiast actor who is approached for a small role in a movie of a very famous director. Though the role is small, Patol Babu, for whom acting is passion, gives his best, but in the end he realizes that though cinema or movies are all about money, it is hollow as people working there do not carry the same passion that Patol Babu has.

About the author: Satyajit Ray

Satyajit Ray is the first Indian to receive The Academy Awards for his contribution to the world cinema. He is the winner of several National and State Level movie awards. He was the writer, the director, the producer and has given the best gems in terms of movies to Indian cinema. His noted works are Pather Panchali, Charulata, Apur Sansar, Aparajito, etc.

Synopsis:

Patol Babu was a 50+ years old man who is an actor by passion and was very famous in his town for acting in funfair, society functions, etc. The love for acting didn’t let him settle financially as he kept on changing various jobs, but he didn’t give up. Once he was approached for a role in movie to which he got agreed. The excited Patol went to the venue before time and observes the hard work behind movie making. Later her realized that he had to say only one word “Oh!” and that made him lose his temper and feel insulted. But he remembers the words of his master Gogon Pakrakshi that any role, big or small, should be done with complete passion. He did the same and performed his part with fantastic performance. Though he was in the need of money, he didn’t take the money as he felt that money is nothing compared to the satisfaction of the job we do.

Question – Answers:

1)            Acting was Patol Babu’s passion. Explain.

Patol Babu had a real passion for stage. In jatras, in amateur theatrical, in neighbourhood clubs, he was always in demand. On many occasions, his name would appear on the handbill and pamphlets. There were times when people purchased ticket especially to see him perform. His struggle of getting a settled job could also be seen as a failure as he was more interested in acting. He is seen so happy to get the role in movie that he mixes up the shopping list. Though he was given a minor role of saying only one word “Oh”, he rehearses it for a number of times to reach the perfection. He also gives inputs to Barren Mullick, the director. In the end, he doesn’t wait to take money because he knows that satisfaction is more than earning money.

2)            Patol Babu’s life was an endless struggle. Do you agree with this statement? Why?

Yes, I agree that Patol Babu’s life is an endless struggle. Though a passionate stage actor, he worked at a Railway Factory. He was then offered a nigh paid clerical post by Hudson and Kimberley. When everything was going in his fate’s favour, he lost his job due to sudden retrenchment due to the war. For survival he opened a variety story that he had to wind up in five years. He also joined a Bengali firm but left due to his boss’s unbearable authoritarian attitude. A decade he worked as an insurance salesperson. Of late he had been paying regular visits to a small establishment dealing in scrap iron where a cousin of his has promised him a job.

3)            Who is Nishikanto Ghosh? What brings him to Patol Babu?

Nishikanto Ghosh is Patol Babu’s neighbour in Nepal Bhattacharji Lane. Nishikanto’s brother-in-law, who was working in film production department, was in search for the actor for a small role in a film. The description of the actor reminded Nishikanto of Patol Babu. Nishikanto suggested him Patol Babu’s name. Thus, Nishiknato came to tell Patol Babu about this.

4)            ‘Counting your chickens again before they are hatched, are you? No wonder you could never make a go of it.” Who said this and to whom? Why does the speaker say so?

Patol Babu’s wife says this Patol Babu. Patol Babu is very excited to get a role in a movie. He shares the same with his wife. He remembers his days of struggle and glory as a stage actor. He looks at this movie role as a first step that would help in rise to fame and fortune.

Patol Babu’s wife seems a practical woman. She says so to make Patol understand that his dream is still a dream.

5)            Describe the scene at Faraday house before the start of the shooting.

As instructed, Patol Babus reached Faraday House before time. The road was crowded with people, two-three cars, and a bus carrying shooting equipments. Crowd was curiously looking at the camera on the tripod and on the crane.

6)            Why does Patol Babu feel uncomfortable when he reaches the venue?

Patol Babu was asked to wear a woolen jacket for the role. It was summer. He felt sweating and was uncomfortable. But moreover, he was uncomfortable because he was not familiar with any person working on the film set. He knew Naresh Dutta, but Naresh Dutt too was not to be seen. When he met Naresh Dutt, he called Patol as ‘Atul Babu’, and Patol Babu had to remind him his real name i.e. Sitalaknato Ray. People were too busy to entertain him. For his dialogue, he was sent from Naresh to Jyoti to Sisanko. Also, the entire movie making experience was new for him. That is why he felt uncomfortable initially at the movie set.

7)            Who was Chanchal Kumar? How did Patol Babu describe Chanchal Kumar?

Chanchal Kumar was the famous movie actor. Patol Babu knew the other day Koti Babu was talking about the same actor. For the scene shoot, Chanchal Kumar was put a lot of makeup and was wearing a Panjabi Dhoti. Patol Babu imagined Chanchal wearing a Bengali Dhoti and a peacock to sit on would make him look more like God Kartik. For Patol Babu, Chanchal Kumar was like his friend Montosh (also known as Chinu) who used to play female part at plays.

8)            Patol Babu is given only one word to say, and that is, “Oh” and he is not happy with the treatment given to him. But Sosanko convinces Patol Babu. How?

Patol Babu thought that he was made an object of fun on the movie set when he was given only one word to say. Sosanko told Patol Babu that he should feel lucky because he was working in a Barren Mulick film. Hundreds of people were there in the crowd, who would hardly be noticed and had nothing to say in the movie. Even the superstar Chanchal Kumar had nothing to say in that day’s movie shoot. That was the day only Patol Babu was given dialogue. That made Patol Babu convinced of his part in the day’s shoots.

9)            What are the thoughts that come to angry Patol Babu’s mind when he comes to know about his dialogue?

When Patol Babu came to know that he had been given only a word as a dialogue, he felt a sudden throbbing in his head. He thought that people there were pulling his leg and were playing a gigantic hoax. He thought that they were making him a laughing stock in front of the entire crowd.

10)         Who is Gogon Pakrashi? Why is he important in changing Patol Babu’s way of thinking about the small dialogue, “Oh”?

Gogon Pakrashi was Patol Babu’s mentor, a wonderful actor and a saintly person for Patol Babu. When Patol Babu felt that his role in the movie wasn’t worth his dignity, he remembered Gogon’s encouraging words that a true actor shouldn’t consider any role below his dignity. Each and every word given to an actor has its own meaning and an actor has to convey the meaning to the audience through his act. Patol Babu realized that though he had got only one work ‘Oh’, he had to give his best even for this short role.

11)         What different discoveries about the word “Oh” does Patol Babu do?

Patol Babu reminds himself the encouraging words of his mentor Gogon Pakrashi that no work or the role should be considered below the dignity. Patol Babu who earlier found the dialogue ‘OH’ given to him unimportant, now realizes that there is treasure of emotions hidden in this monosyllable word. The same word OH can give different meaning to ones expressions with said with different tone, intonations and stress. Patol Babu realizes that he can write an entire thesis on this word.

12)         How does Patol Babu prepare himself for the scene?

The words by Gogon Pakrashi makes Patol Babu realize the importance of dedication and sincerity in doing a small or big role. Patol Babu thinks of giving his best in the scene. He goes near the building where most of the shops were closed and starts practicing for his scene while looking in the glass window. He also does a little calculation of the steps he and Chanchal Kumar have to walk. He realizes that he has to walk a bit faster to reach the spot where he has to collide with Chanchal Kumar. He decides to express fifty parts of anguish and fifty parts of surprise and pain. He also suggests Barren Mullick to give his character a newspaper to make the scene look more lively and real. He suggests rehearsal too, but the suggestion is denied by the director as they have to shoot the scene as early as possible in the natural light.

13)         What are the reactions of the people around when Patol Babu performs his scene?

Patol Babu performs the scene with dedication and sincerity. People praised him a lot. Barren Mullick calls him ‘quite an actor’. Chanchal Kumar praises Patol Babu for his fantastic timing of collision. 

OZYMANDIAS 2017 Notes

Concept map:

About P.B. Shelley:

Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the most significant poets of romantic era of English literature. He is best known for his poems like Ode to the West Wind, Ode to a Skylark, Ozymandias, etc. He is regarded by the finest lyric poet by some critics. His poems are the reflection of contemporary English society. Though his poems are philosophical in nature, they are easily to be understood. He was a key member of a close circle of visionary poets and writers that included Lord Byron, Leigh Hunt and Thomas Love Peacock.

Background information of the poem:

Shelley’s friend, Horace Smith, was on his Christmas vacation at Shelley’s place. At some times, P.B. Shelley’s friend circle which included other romantic poets used to challenge each other to write competing sonnets on a common subject. While Shelly, John Keats and Leigh Hunt wrote competing sonnets on the Nile River around the same time, Shelley and Horace Smith chose a passage from Greek history which described a massive statue in Egypt and the words on its pedestal - "King of Kings Ozymandias am I. If any want to know how great I am and where I lie, let him outdo me in my work."

About the poem ‘Ozymandias’

"Ozymandias" is a sonnet, written in loose iambic pentameter, but with an atypical rhyme scheme when compared to other English-language sonnets, and without the characteristic octave-and-sestet structure. The central theme of "Ozymandias" is contrasting the inevitable decline of all leaders and of the empires they build with their pretensions to greatness. “Ozymandias" represents a transliteration into Greek of a part of Ramesses'  throne name, User-maat-re Setep-en-re. Shelley's poem may have been inspired by the arrival in London in 1821 of a colossal statue of Ramesses II, acquired for the British Museum  The poem was written and published before the statue arrived in Britain, but the reports of the statue's imminent arrival may have inspired the poem.'

Stanza-wise explanation:

The poet says that he met a man from an ancient land (means from a faraway place) who narrated him his experiences. The man says that in the desert he has seen a broken statue. There were two vast legs standing in the desert. The head of the statue lies half-sunk in the sand. On the face, the stern and commanding expressions of the king are visible. One can easily understand the nature of the king from the facial expression carved on the head of the statue. It can be so that the sculptor knows or have studied about the king so much that he could actually make the statue look alive. The sculptor’s hands have actually mocked the exact expressions.

The travel, further, goes on saying that the vast legs were on the pedestal on which these words were written: I am Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my work, Ye mighty but despair’. These words mean to say that the king was very mighty, and he had won many great wars in his reign. One can look around to see his great empire, his work, and be despair that they cannot be like him. But when anyone looks around, they cannot find his empire. What they find around is the endless sand and nothing more.

Exercise:

1.    "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed." Whose hand and heart has the poet referred to in this line?

Answer: The poet referred to the hands of the sculptor who made the statue of Ozymandias. The poet refers to the heart of Ozymandias.

2.    "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:" Why does Ozymandias refer to himself as King of Kings? What quality of the king is revealed through this statement?

Answer: Ozymandias is the mighty king who has defeated almost all the kings and their empires around him. He is proud of his glory and power. So, he calls himself ‘King of Kings’. From this we come to know that Ozymandias was a powerful but a proud king. He is an arrogant king and contemptuous of others lesser than him.

3.    "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Who is Ozymandias referring to when he speaks of ye Mighty? Why should they despair?

Answer: Ozymandias is referring to the kings of his contemporary era. He is also referring to the ones who are watching this statue.

Other kings of his era should be despair to see his endless empire and his achievements as it wouldn’t be possible for them (as they are not as strong as him) to be like him.

He is referring also to the people watching his statue that they should despair as they couldn’t be like him.

4.    'Nothing beside remains.' What does the narrator mean when he says these words?

Answer: The narrator reads the words written on the pedestal ‘Look at my works, ye mighty and despair’. But when he sees, there is nothing left but the endless sand. The narrator here means to say that nothing remains forever, and nobody can defeat time. The achievements and the empires won have all turned into sand.

5.    What is your impression of Ozymandias as a king?

Answer: Ozymandias was a great powerful king as he had defeated almost every king in his empire. His achievements could be seen throughout the empire. But his boastful nature, his arrogance, and his nature of showing others down make him a weak person.

6.    What message is conveyed through this poem?

Answer: Through this poem, S.T. Coleridge wants to convey the message that time is all powerful. No king or his power can defeat time. All the achievement, in the end, leads to grave as nothing lives in the world forever. So, the pride and the showcase of power are useless. The greatness of a man is known by his good deeds.

7.    List the words which tell you how large the statue was.

Answer: The words which tell us how large the statue was are ‘vast’ and ‘colossal’.

8.    What kind of king do you think Ozymandias was?

Answer: I think that Ozymandias was a proud king. There is no doubt that he was mighty and powerful but he had the habit of show off. I think he had the habit of boasting himself and his achievements. I think he was a king who would always order his servants and subjects to be ready for his order irrespective of any problem they had.

9.    What do you think Ozymandias’s original kingdom was like? What remains of his ‘works’? What do you think is meant by the word ‘works’ here?

Answer: I think Ozymandias’ kingdom was vast with many tall, beautiful building around the city and a big castle in the middle of the city. In his kingdom, people must be like his slaves who would make way for the king when he would arrive in the city.

But at present, nothing is remains except his half broken statue.

The word ‘works’ here refers to the endless, far stretched empire of Ozymandias.

10. Which words or lines in the poem point out the contrast between the words of the king and the scene that now remains?

Answer: The lines which point out the contrast between the words of the king and the scene that now remains is:

‘Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The Lone level sand stretch far away.’

Figures of speech in Ozymandias:

Alliteration:

-         Cold command

-         Boundless and bare

-         Lone and level sand

-         Remains round

-         Stone stand

Metaphor:

The entire poem is a metaphor for the foolishness of a man who thinks that anyone can harness time.  Ozymandias boasted of his accomplishments, which now are nothing but fodder for the sand and the wind.

Synecdoche: The hand that mocked and the heart that fed

Imagery:

-         Two vast and trunkless1 legs of stone

-         Half sunk, a shattered visage2 lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip

-         Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

A Shady Plot

Synopsis:

This ghost story revolves around the three characters namely John Hallock, his wife Lavinia and the Ghost Helena. Lavinia suspects that her husband maintains a secret relationship with a girl and she says this with surety as she has seen him talking with her alone. She decides to break her relationship with him. Luckily she comes to know from the ghost itself that it is helping him write a ghost story. Now they reconcile with each other. Jenkins, a magazine publisher asks the writer to give some story on super natural things. The writer accepts. The writer has no specialization in the ghost story writing. As he sits for writing about ghostly things issues like house hold matters crop up in his mind. Then he hears a voice and starts his conversation with a she-ghost as it were. The ghost says that she has come on his request through Ouija board to help him write a story. The ghost asks him to avoid calling through Ouija board. His wife calls him then and the ghost disappears and warns him about their strike. His wife asks him why he is sitting in the dark. She brings an Ouija board to know about historical events to help him write a story. He does not like the idea and asks her to return the board aback and get something else in its replacement. His wife stares at him. He tries to write a story, but cannot do it. Then next Saturday he writes his story. When he comes back, his mind is churning and his house is brightly lighted. The room is filled with middle-aged women belonging to his wife’s book club. They are sitting with Ouija boards. He is scared that his wife may notice the ghost. When his wife asks him to join the Ouija board, he refuses. Somehow his wife comes to know from the Ouija board and the board operator namely Laura that John has betrayed his wife by having relationship with a girl called Helen. She decides to break the relationship, but luckily she comes to know from John that Helen is helping him to write a ghost story. 

1)      Why does John says that it was difficult to contradict Jenkins?

John Hallock is a writer but unfortunately he has only written ghost stories because his boss wants him to write only ghost stories. John cannot argue with Jenkins because Jenkins is the only publisher who employs John as a writer. Also, Jenkins somehow comes to know about John’s urgent financial needs such as paying the rent, paying the grocer, etc. In such situations, John too cannot say NO to Jenkins.

2)      How does John end up writing an interesting ghost story?

Though John doesn’t want to keep his talent confined only to write ghost stories, he is very good in writing ghost stories. Everytime Jenkins asks him to write one, John, at the start, would not feel like writing, but ends up writing nice ghost stories. It is simply because Helen, the ghost, who has been helping John to write.

3)      Why are the ghosts going on strike?

Helen is the ghost who has been helping John writes ghost stories. John isn’t aware of this. When he meets Helen, he comes to know about it. Helen tells him that he would not be getting any help now as the entire ghost community is going on strike. Helen further mentions that the reason for the ghosts going on strike is humans who keep calling them to ask questions using Ouija Board. The humans, just for the sake of their fun, have made the ghosts’ lives miserable. Ghosts are left with no leisure time. Helen is ready to help John write ghost stories if he successfully convinces his acquaintances not to use Ouija Boards.

4)      What does Lavinia bring for John?

John’s wife, Lavinia, is a shopoholic person. She would buy any new fad in the market. She buys Ouija Board for John at bargain sale thinking that it would help him in writing historical novels, because talking to a historical figure directly by calling his or her ghost using Ouija board is better than going through piles of history books in the library.

5)      What is John’s reaction to see the gift his wife has brought for him? What does Lavinia say to him?

John is in dilemma as he has promised Helen the ghost that he would convince his acquaintance not to use Ouija board, and on the other hand, his wife has got one a present for John. He tries convincing his wife saying that she doesn’t believe in such stuff and asks her to return that. She cannot do it because she has got it as a gift for him and goods bought at bargain sale cannot be returned.

6)      Why doesn’t John remember about his wife’s call to his office?

John almost forgot about the ghost story he has to write, the ghost Helen he came across and the Ouija board his wife bought for him as he was very busy the other day. It was month end, and work has already been piled up a lot. He was so busy that he even forgot that a clerk had come to tell him that somebody called him. It was his wife who called him to message that he has to come home early.

7)      What does John see when he arrives home from the office?

John’s wife has arranged Ouija Board party for all the women members of her book club. Mrs. Augustus, at the last time, doesn’t come so Laura Hinkle was left with no partner. Lavinia forced John to be her partner. John doesn’t like to be her partner because Laura is a flirtatious woman.

8)      What is the strange thing that happened during the Ouija Board party?

During the Ouija board party, all of a sudden, from all the Ouija board, came the sound of the same ghost named Helen who wants to say something about John who according to her is a TRAITER. She calls John traitor because John has promised her that he would convince his acquaintances to stop using Ouija board, but his own house, his wife has arranged party. Thus he has not kept his promise to Helen.

9)      What does Lavinia decide to do when she guesses her husband’s affair?

John’s wife Lavinia decides to leave the house and go to her grandmothers. She further says that her lawyer would communicate with John for their divorce. She is doing so because she thinks that John is having an affair with Helen the ghost who wanted to speak to them the previous night. Lavinia too thinks that John is a traitor who has cheated on her.

10)   What is John’s reaction when he knows that his wife decides to leave him?

When Lavinia tells John that she was going to her grandmother’s place and gives him a clue of their divorce, John shows agreement to her going to her grandmother’s place. Because he knows that if Lavinia stays there for one more moment, she might see the ghost Helen in there. So it is easy for John to convince the disappointed Lavinia after than making her encounter the ghost creating a huge scene.

11)   Why does Gladolia want  to leave the house and the job?

Gladolia, John’s cook, wants to leave the job and the house because she doesn’t want to stay in the house where such voodoo things like Ouija Boards are kept. She is a woman who is scared of ghosts a lot. But Lavinia convinces her to stay as she asks Gladolia to break the Ouija board and use it for kindle wood. Lavinia does so because she too is fed up of that Ouija Board as it is one of the reasons for her fight with her husband.

12)   What was Lavinia’s reaction when she sees Helen the ghost? Why?

John is too foolish to hide that giant ghost behind him. Finally, Lavinia encounters with the ghost. But instead of fainting while looking at that phantom, Lavinia is happy to see Helen. Lavinia thought that the ghost is Helen of Troy, the most beautiful historical female. Lavinia is possessive of her husband and doesn’t want her husband to have an affair even with a good looking female ghost. On the other hand, this Helen, the ghost is not good looking. So, she feels relax to see her.

Something to think about

Everything that happens in socio-political context has its roots lying in history. Same goes for JNU episode that involves Kanhaiya Kumar and AISF.

ABVP is a Hindu Nationalist Students Party led by again another Hindu Nationalist RSS. RSS though was founded in 1927, they never took part in Indian Freedom fight, but on the other hand, they deliberately stayed away from it. Gandhi’s assassination is carried out by RSS volunteers. ABVP is involved in many bullying activities in Universities campuses. They beaten up the national award winning director Anant Patwardhan in Pune when he was shooting for his movie Jay Bhim Comrade. They have been ruling University elections since a long time till AISF (All India Students Federation) came into existence.

AISF is the first students led organization that took part in Indian Freedom Fight. Kanhaiya Kumar belongs to this party. Kanhaiya Kumar, then was the President of JNU Students wing. In recent years, especially after Narendra Modi’s victory in central Government, AISF swap all the polls beating ABVP in all the major universities election. The suicide-cum-murder of Rohit Vemula (AISF member) too is a result of caste-based politics and ABVP Vs AISF episodes.

Kanhaiys Kumar and his AISF gang protested against hanging of Afzal Guru, the convict in the Parliament terrorist attack. Basically, AISF is against any kind of death penalty, so was Gandhiji. He too was against death penalty. So, when this protest was going on, someone shot the protest with mobile and the video went viral. All the blind TV news channels started showcasing the same video clip on TV, as the video clip involved slogans abusing India (bharat Tere Tukade Ho, Kashmir Ko Bharat Se Chhin ke Rahenge, etc) All news channels started making Kanhaiya Kumar a villain. He was arrested the next day on sedentary charges. The next day when he was taken to the court, all the lawayers sitting outside the court attacked him before he could reach the judge (a typical filmi scene) (most of them were not even lawyers but BJP party paid members). As there wasn’t any proof against Kanhaiya Kumar, court had to grant him bail.

Later it was discovered that the entire video clip was doctored. The slogans (as it can be seen from the lip movements) were never against India or Bharat. On the other hand, it was proved that later, these slogans abusing India were inserted during editing. But till that time It was too late. Media has already labeled Kanhaiya Kumar as anti-national. But still except NDTV, no channel apologized Kanhaiya for making him a villain.

It was proved that the video was doctored. But it should have been Government’s responsibility to find the ones who added these anti-national slogans later during editing. But Government cannot do that because they were the students of ABVP. All over India, Kanhaiya Kumar became a wave taller than Modi as he has got elocution skills and vigour to explain what the truth is.

After this inciden, AISF won the most important Delhi University elections, Hyderabad University elections, Pune University and all.