CHAPTER 05 - PATOL BABU, FILM
STAR
PAGE 55
Question 1:
With your partner answer the following
questions:
What are your strengths?
Strengths
Why do you feel so?
What is your dream career?
I want to become a …..
Is there any correlation between your
strengths and aspirations?
Do you think you can achieve your dreams?
Give reasons
Answer :
Note: This question is to be answered on the
basis of your own understanding, experience
and thoughts. It is strongly recommended
that you prepare the solution on your own.
However, a brief idea on the solutions has
been provided for your reference.
Strengths
Why do you feel so?
Strong-willed
I complete all work assigned to me.
passionate
I try to do everything with perfection.
focused
I am sure of what I want to achieve.
hardworking
I put in a lot of effort in whatever I do.
I want to become a successful sportsman.
I feel my above strengths are necessary pre
requisites for a good sportsman.
I am very determined to achieve my dreams.
I take coaching in cricket and football. I
keenly follow these sports. I follow a strict
diet and fitness regime to keep myself
physically fit.
PAGE 67
Question 3-(a):
What was the news that Nishikanto Ghosh
gave Patol Babu?
Answer :
Nishikanto Babu told Patol Babu that his
brother-in law, who was in the film business,
was looking for an actor for a film they were
shooting. The character he described
reminded Nishikanto Babu of Patol Babu so
he gave him his address and asked him to get
in touch with him.
Question 3-(b):
How did Patol Babu react? Why?
Answer :
Patol Babu was taken aback by the acting
offer. He was surprised as it seemed
unbelievable to him that a 52-year old
nobody like him was getting a chance to act
in a film.
Question 3-(c):
Why had Patol Babu lost his first job in
Calcutta?
Answer :
The Second World War had resulted in Patol
Babu being retrenched from his nine-year-old
clerical job at Hudson and Kimberley.
Question 3-(d):
How does Patol Babu reconcile to the
dialogue given to him?
Answer :
Initially, Patol Babu was shocked to see his
monosyllabic dialogue. However, after
rehearsing his dialogue, he felt that a true
actor could make his mark even with a single
syllable. His mentor’s words rang in hismind
who had once said that each word spoken in
a play was like a fruit in a tree. Not everyone
in the audience has access to it. So, the actor
must know how to pluck it, get at its essence,
and serve it up to the audience for their
edification. These words helped Patol Babu
perform the role assigned to him with
conviction.
Question 3-(e):
Who was Mr. Pakrashi? How do his words
help Patol Babu in enacting his role?
Answer :
Mr. Pakrashi was Patol Babu's mentor. He
said, "Remember one thing, Patol; however
small a part you're offered, never consider it
beneath your dignity to accept it." These
words influenced Patol Babu a lot and they
helped him enact his role with confidence and
determination. From these words, Patol Babu
drew spirit, energy, inspiration and dignity to
enact such a small role. He no more felt his
role in the movie to be condescending.
Question 3-(f):
How do we know that Patol Babu was a
meticulous man?
Answer :
Patol Babu was a meticulous man with a lot
of perseverance. He was a very talented man
who was gifted with the art of acting. He
never lost faith in reality and overtook all
challenges in life and faced all difficulties. He
was offered a part in a movie in this story
and he took it up. He was meticulous because
he calculated the number of steps he needed
to take before crashing into Chanchal Kumar.
Similarly, he practised the variation in the
dialogues with different tones. He was also a
self concerned man because he ordered for a
ginger tea with his wife the day before the
movie was to be shot so that his voice will be
loud and clear on the day of the movie. At
last, he was a very grateful man and never
gave up the responsibilities that were given to
him even though he was a very mixed up man
and a confused personality.
Question 3-(g):
Why did Mr. Mullick turn down Patol Babu's
request for a rehearsal?
Answer :
Patol Babu suggested that he should rehearse
his scene. But Mr. Mullick turned down his
request for the rehearsal, showing impatience
at his suggestion. This was because Mr.
Mullick wanted to quickly shoot the scene in
the sunlight and he could see a large patch of
cloud approaching the sun, which was making
him impatient.
Question 3-(h):
What were the special touches that Patol
Babu gave to his role to make it more
authentic?
Answer :
Patol Babu rehearsed the exact number of
steps for colliding with the hero, added a
small grey moustache to his look and held a
newspaper open in his hand. These were the
special touches which he gave to his look for
making his role seem more authentic.
Question 4-(a):
'I hope the part calls for some dialogue?'
Who says this? Why does he /she ask this
question?
Answer :
These lines are said by Patol Babu. He had
been a stage actor for many years before
work forced him to come to Calcutta. He was
a very passionate actor; in fact he was
obsessed with acting. There was a time when
people would buy tickets just to see him
perform.
After many years, Patol Babu was offered a
role in a film. He was both surprised and
happy to receive this offer. He enquired
about his role so that he could rehearse for
it. He was told that his role was that of a
pedestrian. He wanted to know if the role had
any dialogues because he was very keen to
show off his acting prowess.
Question 4-(b):
'Were these people pulling his legs? Was the
whole thing a gigantic hoax?
A meek, harmless man like him, and they had
to drag him into the middle of the city to
make a laughing stock out of him. How could
anyone be so cruel?' Why does
Patol Babu have these thoughts?
Answer :
The reason for Patol Babu having such kind
of thoughts was that the dialogue that he was
given shocked him. It was for the first time
that Patol Babu has got an opportunity to act
in a film. Till now he had acted on the stage.
He was very excited. He reaches the shooting
site at the designated time. After watching the
film shoot for sometime, he asked for his
dialogue so that he could memorise and
rehearse it.
All he had to do was to collide with the hero
and utter “oh”. He was very disappointed. He
expected a small role with some dialogues but
here he just had to utter a monosyllable.
Patol Babu was a very good actor and he
thought that by giving him such an
insignificant role they had made a mockery of
him and his acting skills.
Question 4-(c):
Patol Babu is an amateur actor for whom
walk-on part in a movie turns into an
ultimate challenge.
Discuss.
Answer :
Patol Babu is initially very disappointed
because of the small role he had been given.
Then he is reminded of his mentor’s words
that “however small a part, never consider it
beneath your dignity to accept it”. Motivated
by these words, Patol Babu decides to
rehearse his part before the final shoot. He
chooses a reclusive spot to practice. As he
practices, he realises that a monosyllabic
exclamation could be said in different ways
and carried different meanings. He also
rehearsed how he would react physically
when the collision took place - he would twist
his face in pain, fling his arms, and crouch to
show pain and surprise. He really worked
hard at his part and performed it to
perfection.
Question 4-(d):
Do you agree with the statement that Patol
Babu is a practical man who comes to terms
with whatever life has to offer? Give reasons
for your answer.
Answer :
Patol Babu had a passion for acting. In fact,
there was a time when people used to buy
tickets just to watch him. But he left all this
and moved to Calcutta from Kanchrapara
because he was offered a job with a better
salary. In Calcutta, he gave up his plans of
starting a club in his neighbourhood and
dabbled in various jobs to make his ends
meet. When an acting offer came by, he
readily agreed to do it. Though he was
initially disturbed by the triviality of the role,
he performed the part to perfection without
taking any payment for it. Patol Babu
believed it was not about whether the role
that an actor plays is major or minor, rather
performance of the actor mattered the most.
Thus, we can say that Patol Babu was a
practical man who accepted whatever came
his way.
Question 4-(e):
Why does Patol Babu walk away before he
can be paid for his role? What does this
reveal about his character?
Answer :
Patol Babu executed his part to perfection.
However, he wondered whether the immense
effort he had put in to enact a small role
would be appreciated by everybody or not.
The film unit usually got hold of some people,
made them do their parts and paid them a
small amount. They were not bothered about
the quality of performance.
Although Patol Babu performed a small role,
he felt that taking money for it would be
trivialising his performance. He was a true
actor for whom creative satisfaction was
foremost and not money.
Question 4-(f):
Do you think making a movie is an easy job?
Discuss with reference to the story
Answer :
The story, Patol Babu, Film Star, describes a
film shoot. Filmmaking is a long and tedious
process. Every scene has to be rehearsed
many times before it is finally shot. Plenty of
heavy equipments and expensive cameras are
used. Film actors have to shoot in extreme
weather conditions, sometimes in front of
large crowds. The noise and extreme weather
can, at times, distract an actor. The
production unit has to see minor details,
arrange for actors for small roles, and
arrange for props. In short making a film is a
combined effort of many people.
PAGE 68
Question 5-(b):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
Indeed, there was a time when people bought
tickets especially to see him_
Answer :
Indeed, there was a time when people bought
tickets especially to see him —talented
Question 5-(c):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
'I was with Hudson and Kimberley for nine
years and wasn't late for a single day.'
Answer :
'I was with Hudson and Kimberley for nine
years and wasn't late for a single day.' —
punctual
Question 5-(d):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
It didn't matter if the part was small, but, if
he had to make the most of it, he had to
learn his lines beforehand. How small he
would feel if he muffed in the presence of so
many people _
Answer :
It didn't matter if the part was small, but, if
he had to make the most of it, he had to
learn his lines beforehand. How small he
would feel if he muffed in the presence of so
many people—meticulous
Question 5-(e):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
Patol Babu cleared his throat and started
enunciating the syllable in various ways.
Along with that he worked out how he would
react physically when the collision took
placehow his features would be twisted in
pain, how he would fling out his
arms, how his body would crouch to express
pain and surpriseall these he performed in
various ways in front of a large glass
window_
Answer :
Patol Babu cleared his throat and started
enunciating the syllable in various ways.
Along with that he worked out how he would
react physically when the collision took
placehow his features would be twisted in
pain, how he would fling out his
arms, how his body would crouch to express
pain and surpriseall these he performed in
various ways in front of a large glass window
—passionate actor
Question 5-(f):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
It is true that he needed money very badly,
but what was twenty rupees when measured
against the intense satisfaction of a small job
done with perfection and dedication?
_
Answer :
It is true that he needed money very badly,
but what was twenty rupees when measured
against the intense satisfaction of a small job
done with perfection and dedication? —
humble
Question 6:
(a)
Then he had a job in a Bengali firm which he
gave up in disgust when his boss began to
treat him in too high-handed a fashion
stimulate the imagination
(b)
A faint memory was stirred up in
Patol Babu's mind.
to surrender or relinquish
(c)
At first he opened a variety store which he
had to wind up after five years.
staged
(d)
In Jatras, in amateur theatricals, to gain
control over one's actions in plays put up by
the club in his neighbourhood, Patol Babu
was always in demand
to gain control over one's actions
(e)
Patol Babu was about to step forward when
he was pulled up short by a voice shouting
'Silence!'
shut down
(f)
Patol Babu pulled himself together
Stopped
Answer :
(a)
Then he had a job in a Bengali firm which he
gave up in disgust when his boss began to
treat him in too high-handed a fashion
to surrender or relinquish
(b)
A faint memory was stirred up in
Patol Babu's mind.
stimulate the imagination
(c)
At first he opened a variety store which he
had to wind up after five years.
shut down
(d)
In Jatras, in amateur theatricals, to gain
control over one's actions in plays put up by
the club in his neighbourhood, Patol Babu
was always in demand
staged
(e)
Patol Babu was about to step forward when
he was pulled up short by a voice shouting
'Silence!'
stopped
(f)
Patol Babu pulled himself together
to gain control over one’s action.
STAR
PAGE 55
Question 1:
With your partner answer the following
questions:
What are your strengths?
Strengths
Why do you feel so?
What is your dream career?
I want to become a …..
Is there any correlation between your
strengths and aspirations?
Do you think you can achieve your dreams?
Give reasons
Answer :
Note: This question is to be answered on the
basis of your own understanding, experience
and thoughts. It is strongly recommended
that you prepare the solution on your own.
However, a brief idea on the solutions has
been provided for your reference.
Strengths
Why do you feel so?
Strong-willed
I complete all work assigned to me.
passionate
I try to do everything with perfection.
focused
I am sure of what I want to achieve.
hardworking
I put in a lot of effort in whatever I do.
I want to become a successful sportsman.
I feel my above strengths are necessary pre
requisites for a good sportsman.
I am very determined to achieve my dreams.
I take coaching in cricket and football. I
keenly follow these sports. I follow a strict
diet and fitness regime to keep myself
physically fit.
PAGE 67
Question 3-(a):
What was the news that Nishikanto Ghosh
gave Patol Babu?
Answer :
Nishikanto Babu told Patol Babu that his
brother-in law, who was in the film business,
was looking for an actor for a film they were
shooting. The character he described
reminded Nishikanto Babu of Patol Babu so
he gave him his address and asked him to get
in touch with him.
Question 3-(b):
How did Patol Babu react? Why?
Answer :
Patol Babu was taken aback by the acting
offer. He was surprised as it seemed
unbelievable to him that a 52-year old
nobody like him was getting a chance to act
in a film.
Question 3-(c):
Why had Patol Babu lost his first job in
Calcutta?
Answer :
The Second World War had resulted in Patol
Babu being retrenched from his nine-year-old
clerical job at Hudson and Kimberley.
Question 3-(d):
How does Patol Babu reconcile to the
dialogue given to him?
Answer :
Initially, Patol Babu was shocked to see his
monosyllabic dialogue. However, after
rehearsing his dialogue, he felt that a true
actor could make his mark even with a single
syllable. His mentor’s words rang in hismind
who had once said that each word spoken in
a play was like a fruit in a tree. Not everyone
in the audience has access to it. So, the actor
must know how to pluck it, get at its essence,
and serve it up to the audience for their
edification. These words helped Patol Babu
perform the role assigned to him with
conviction.
Question 3-(e):
Who was Mr. Pakrashi? How do his words
help Patol Babu in enacting his role?
Answer :
Mr. Pakrashi was Patol Babu's mentor. He
said, "Remember one thing, Patol; however
small a part you're offered, never consider it
beneath your dignity to accept it." These
words influenced Patol Babu a lot and they
helped him enact his role with confidence and
determination. From these words, Patol Babu
drew spirit, energy, inspiration and dignity to
enact such a small role. He no more felt his
role in the movie to be condescending.
Question 3-(f):
How do we know that Patol Babu was a
meticulous man?
Answer :
Patol Babu was a meticulous man with a lot
of perseverance. He was a very talented man
who was gifted with the art of acting. He
never lost faith in reality and overtook all
challenges in life and faced all difficulties. He
was offered a part in a movie in this story
and he took it up. He was meticulous because
he calculated the number of steps he needed
to take before crashing into Chanchal Kumar.
Similarly, he practised the variation in the
dialogues with different tones. He was also a
self concerned man because he ordered for a
ginger tea with his wife the day before the
movie was to be shot so that his voice will be
loud and clear on the day of the movie. At
last, he was a very grateful man and never
gave up the responsibilities that were given to
him even though he was a very mixed up man
and a confused personality.
Question 3-(g):
Why did Mr. Mullick turn down Patol Babu's
request for a rehearsal?
Answer :
Patol Babu suggested that he should rehearse
his scene. But Mr. Mullick turned down his
request for the rehearsal, showing impatience
at his suggestion. This was because Mr.
Mullick wanted to quickly shoot the scene in
the sunlight and he could see a large patch of
cloud approaching the sun, which was making
him impatient.
Question 3-(h):
What were the special touches that Patol
Babu gave to his role to make it more
authentic?
Answer :
Patol Babu rehearsed the exact number of
steps for colliding with the hero, added a
small grey moustache to his look and held a
newspaper open in his hand. These were the
special touches which he gave to his look for
making his role seem more authentic.
Question 4-(a):
'I hope the part calls for some dialogue?'
Who says this? Why does he /she ask this
question?
Answer :
These lines are said by Patol Babu. He had
been a stage actor for many years before
work forced him to come to Calcutta. He was
a very passionate actor; in fact he was
obsessed with acting. There was a time when
people would buy tickets just to see him
perform.
After many years, Patol Babu was offered a
role in a film. He was both surprised and
happy to receive this offer. He enquired
about his role so that he could rehearse for
it. He was told that his role was that of a
pedestrian. He wanted to know if the role had
any dialogues because he was very keen to
show off his acting prowess.
Question 4-(b):
'Were these people pulling his legs? Was the
whole thing a gigantic hoax?
A meek, harmless man like him, and they had
to drag him into the middle of the city to
make a laughing stock out of him. How could
anyone be so cruel?' Why does
Patol Babu have these thoughts?
Answer :
The reason for Patol Babu having such kind
of thoughts was that the dialogue that he was
given shocked him. It was for the first time
that Patol Babu has got an opportunity to act
in a film. Till now he had acted on the stage.
He was very excited. He reaches the shooting
site at the designated time. After watching the
film shoot for sometime, he asked for his
dialogue so that he could memorise and
rehearse it.
All he had to do was to collide with the hero
and utter “oh”. He was very disappointed. He
expected a small role with some dialogues but
here he just had to utter a monosyllable.
Patol Babu was a very good actor and he
thought that by giving him such an
insignificant role they had made a mockery of
him and his acting skills.
Question 4-(c):
Patol Babu is an amateur actor for whom
walk-on part in a movie turns into an
ultimate challenge.
Discuss.
Answer :
Patol Babu is initially very disappointed
because of the small role he had been given.
Then he is reminded of his mentor’s words
that “however small a part, never consider it
beneath your dignity to accept it”. Motivated
by these words, Patol Babu decides to
rehearse his part before the final shoot. He
chooses a reclusive spot to practice. As he
practices, he realises that a monosyllabic
exclamation could be said in different ways
and carried different meanings. He also
rehearsed how he would react physically
when the collision took place - he would twist
his face in pain, fling his arms, and crouch to
show pain and surprise. He really worked
hard at his part and performed it to
perfection.
Question 4-(d):
Do you agree with the statement that Patol
Babu is a practical man who comes to terms
with whatever life has to offer? Give reasons
for your answer.
Answer :
Patol Babu had a passion for acting. In fact,
there was a time when people used to buy
tickets just to watch him. But he left all this
and moved to Calcutta from Kanchrapara
because he was offered a job with a better
salary. In Calcutta, he gave up his plans of
starting a club in his neighbourhood and
dabbled in various jobs to make his ends
meet. When an acting offer came by, he
readily agreed to do it. Though he was
initially disturbed by the triviality of the role,
he performed the part to perfection without
taking any payment for it. Patol Babu
believed it was not about whether the role
that an actor plays is major or minor, rather
performance of the actor mattered the most.
Thus, we can say that Patol Babu was a
practical man who accepted whatever came
his way.
Question 4-(e):
Why does Patol Babu walk away before he
can be paid for his role? What does this
reveal about his character?
Answer :
Patol Babu executed his part to perfection.
However, he wondered whether the immense
effort he had put in to enact a small role
would be appreciated by everybody or not.
The film unit usually got hold of some people,
made them do their parts and paid them a
small amount. They were not bothered about
the quality of performance.
Although Patol Babu performed a small role,
he felt that taking money for it would be
trivialising his performance. He was a true
actor for whom creative satisfaction was
foremost and not money.
Question 4-(f):
Do you think making a movie is an easy job?
Discuss with reference to the story
Answer :
The story, Patol Babu, Film Star, describes a
film shoot. Filmmaking is a long and tedious
process. Every scene has to be rehearsed
many times before it is finally shot. Plenty of
heavy equipments and expensive cameras are
used. Film actors have to shoot in extreme
weather conditions, sometimes in front of
large crowds. The noise and extreme weather
can, at times, distract an actor. The
production unit has to see minor details,
arrange for actors for small roles, and
arrange for props. In short making a film is a
combined effort of many people.
PAGE 68
Question 5-(b):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
Indeed, there was a time when people bought
tickets especially to see him_
Answer :
Indeed, there was a time when people bought
tickets especially to see him —talented
Question 5-(c):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
'I was with Hudson and Kimberley for nine
years and wasn't late for a single day.'
Answer :
'I was with Hudson and Kimberley for nine
years and wasn't late for a single day.' —
punctual
Question 5-(d):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
It didn't matter if the part was small, but, if
he had to make the most of it, he had to
learn his lines beforehand. How small he
would feel if he muffed in the presence of so
many people _
Answer :
It didn't matter if the part was small, but, if
he had to make the most of it, he had to
learn his lines beforehand. How small he
would feel if he muffed in the presence of so
many people—meticulous
Question 5-(e):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
Patol Babu cleared his throat and started
enunciating the syllable in various ways.
Along with that he worked out how he would
react physically when the collision took
place
pain, how he would fling out his
arms, how his body would crouch to express
pain and surprise
various ways in front of a large glass
window_
Answer :
Patol Babu cleared his throat and started
enunciating the syllable in various ways.
Along with that he worked out how he would
react physically when the collision took
place
pain, how he would fling out his
arms, how his body would crouch to express
pain and surprise
various ways in front of a large glass window
—passionate actor
Question 5-(f):
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do
they tell us about Patol Babu's character?
passionate actor
diligent
unassuming
talented
genial
mercenary
short-tempered
introvert
meticulous
modest
humble
arrogant
It is true that he needed money very badly,
but what was twenty rupees when measured
against the intense satisfaction of a small job
done with perfection and dedication?
_
Answer :
It is true that he needed money very badly,
but what was twenty rupees when measured
against the intense satisfaction of a small job
done with perfection and dedication? —
humble
Question 6:
(a)
Then he had a job in a Bengali firm which he
gave up in disgust when his boss began to
treat him in too high-handed a fashion
stimulate the imagination
(b)
A faint memory was stirred up in
Patol Babu's mind.
to surrender or relinquish
(c)
At first he opened a variety store which he
had to wind up after five years.
staged
(d)
In Jatras, in amateur theatricals, to gain
control over one's actions in plays put up by
the club in his neighbourhood, Patol Babu
was always in demand
to gain control over one's actions
(e)
Patol Babu was about to step forward when
he was pulled up short by a voice shouting
'Silence!'
shut down
(f)
Patol Babu pulled himself together
Stopped
Answer :
(a)
Then he had a job in a Bengali firm which he
gave up in disgust when his boss began to
treat him in too high-handed a fashion
to surrender or relinquish
(b)
A faint memory was stirred up in
Patol Babu's mind.
stimulate the imagination
(c)
At first he opened a variety store which he
had to wind up after five years.
shut down
(d)
In Jatras, in amateur theatricals, to gain
control over one's actions in plays put up by
the club in his neighbourhood, Patol Babu
was always in demand
staged
(e)
Patol Babu was about to step forward when
he was pulled up short by a voice shouting
'Silence!'
stopped
(f)
Patol Babu pulled himself together
to gain control over one’s action.
No comments:
Post a Comment