The author’s use of gentle humour and mild satire coupled with painting out human weaknesses makes this lesson quite interesting. He has a chatty style which quickly changes from one thought to the other. The make-up department has people from different states. The make-up man could change into a decent looking person look ugly like a monster. It was done so that they could be made presentable in the movies. The office -boy was a bit of poet. The author would pray for crowd shooting all the time to save himself from the office-boy’s ‘epics’.

Subbu was a many-sided genius and he remained cheerful all the time. He was a tailor-made for films and always worked for someone else. The legal adviser had many subtle touches of humour. The moral Re-Armament Army was welcomed at the Gemini Studio and it brought a welcome change from their routine. The English poet remained a mystery for all. Even the baffled reaction of the staff at the Gemini Studio arouses our humour. These people are ogainst communism and they are satired and did nothing to oppose it.

The Gemini Studios was located in Chennai in the upstairs of a building which believed to have been the stables of Robert Clive. It consisted of many departments like make-up department, story department and so on. It was a team work that produced films and more than six hundred people worked there. The make-up room was very large and it had the look of a hair cutting salon. There were incandescent lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. The light radiated a lot of heat. Thus the make-up men had to pass a very tough time amidst fiery heat and dazzling light. The department bought truck loads of a make-up material called pancakes which was used to paint the faces of the players.

The chief of the make-up department made the chief actors and actresses with make-up material. His senior assistant did the same for the second hero and heroine. The junior assistant did for the comedian and so on. The office boy was for the players who played the crowd. This team of make-up men could turn any decent looking boy or girl into a hideous monster. It was an indispensable wing that maintained its strict hierarchy.

At the Gemini Studios, writers and the poets were the members of the Story Department besides a lawyer. He was its official member and was known as the legal adviser. But everybody referred to him as the opposite, i.e. the illegal adviser. They had doubts over his legal skills and abilities as he lacked common sense. All the members of the story department wore Khadi Dhoti and an oversized Kurta. But this person wore trousers and a tie. Sometimes he came in a coat and thus he looked odd and helpless. He was a cold man of lonely nature in the company of the dreamers. He was quite near to the boss and allowed to produce a film. It flopped. One day the Boss closed down the story department and the lawyer too lost his job.

It so happened when an extremely talented actress had to blow over on the sets. One day when she was on the sets, she lost her temper. She was speaking in an angry mood with the speaker. Immediately the lawyer switched on the recording equipment. When she paused for breath, the lawyer played both the recorders. On hearing her tirade against the producer, she was much stunned at the incident. There was nothing offensive in her words. Yet she was much frightened. She never recovered from the terror. After that she never appeared on the stage. This finished her bright career.

The Gemini Studios was set up with a team of 600 people in 1940. It had set up its identity in film production and it touched upon varied aspects. In his book, My year with Boss, the author Asokamitran had described Subbu at the No.2 at the Gemini Studios. Being a many sided genuis, he was an indispensable man for the studios. He served his Boss and the organisation from the core of his heart. He did not have much education but his loyalty had made him identify with his Principal or the Boss. He used all his energy and creativity to the advantage of his Boss and his company. He understood all the complexities and technicalities of film-making. In case the director was not satisfied, Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives. He was a many sided genious. During its golden period, Subbu gave a new direction and definition to the Gemini Studios.

Being a poet, he wrote his poetry for the masses. His sprawling novel ‘Thillana Mohanambal’ had dozens of lovely characters on the mood and manner of the Devadasis of early 20th century. Whatever roles Subbu played, he acted better than the main actor. Subbu was of a charitable and cheerful personality. He fed and supported dozens of near and dear ones at his residence but he had his enemies. With the closure of the story department, Subbu also lost his job.

The Gemini Studios of film production has never confined its activities within the four walls of the studios but it also gives a fine glimpse of outside world as well. The production department has two prominent divisions, namely the make-up department and the story department. In the make-up room there were incandescent lights fixed at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. It had a team of workers from chief make-up man to the office boy who slapped the crowd players with lotions, potions and pancakes. Truck loads of pancakes were used by the actors and actresses like the Bollywood and Hollywood characters. Pancake was the popular brand name there. There was a strict hierarchy of make-up man.

The story department had its significant contribution. There was a legal adviser duly accompanied with an assembly of poets and writers. They were engaged in creating story, songs, social and other work. There was directors, actors, actresses, cameramen, lightmen, boys, etc. In those days, it was mainly the indoor shooting. The Boss had a strict vigil at every aspect. He was assisted by Kothamangalam Subbu, who was an indispensable person for the Studios.

In addition to this, the Gemini Studios had become the favourite haunt of the poet and other visitors because of its decent mess that served coffee till the late at night. The Studios hosted the visit of Moral Re-Armament Army and a poet-cum-editor Stephen Spender. The MRA was a team of two hundred strong men who exhibited two plays in the most professional way. The MRA was a counter movement to international communism but the people at the Studios were averse in this ideology. The visit of Spender also became an unexplained mystery for all.