Hi Everyone!! This article will share Patol Babu Filmstar Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have also shared the questions and answers of The Adventures of An Understudy, A Shot in the Dark, The Prince of Panidihing and Casabianca so, you can check these posts as well.
Patol Babu Filmstar Questions & Answers
Question 1: What is the role in the film that is offered to Patol Babu?
Answer: The role offered to Patol Babu by Naresh Dutt, the director, was that of an absent-minded, short-tempered pedestrian.
Question 2: “I really don‘t see why I should say no.” Do these words reflect Patol Babu‘s excitement about the acting opportunity? Why is he trying to hide his real feelings?
Answer: The words do not reflect the exact excitement that Patol Babu felt upon receiving the offer to act in a film. At one time Patol Babu had a real passion for theatre and acting. In spite of having a job in the old railway factory, he was always in demand for amateur theatricals put up by his neighbourhood club. So, getting an opportunity to work for a real film was like a dream come true for him. Deep down, Patol Babu felt jubilant. Patol Babu is trying to hide his excitement to maintain his composure. Simply put, he does not want to look over-enthusiastic like a child.
Question 3: A member of the shooting crew tells Patol Babu, “Just think how crucial the shot is.” Is the role truly ‘crucial’? Why does he say so to Patol Babu?
Answer: A member of the shooting crew, Jyoti, came up and explained to Patol Babu what his role in the film demanded. He described that Chanchal Kumar, a character in the film, was a rising young executive who had just been informed about embezzlement that had taken place in his office. He got out of his car and ran across the pavement towards the entrance of the office when he collided with a distracted pedestrian. The pedestrian was hurt in the head and said “Oh!” But Chanchal Kumar paid no attention to the pedestrian and went into the office. This absent-minded pedestrian was to be played by Patol Babu.
Patol Babu‘s role was insignificant to the entire film. Patol Babu would just be a supporting crew and the audience perhaps would not even notice him. Jyoti said so to convince Patol Babu that the part he would be playing was of importance to the film. This would perhaps make Patol Babu take his role seriously.
Patol Babu Filmstar Questions & Answers
Question 4: Read the line and answer the questions:
(a) Who said these words to Patol Babu?
Answer: These were the words of advice given to Patol Babu by his mentor, Mr Pakrashi.
(b)
Answer: At first, Patol Babu was feeling deeply dejected. He had been given an insignificant role in a movie where his only dialogue was – “Oh!” But when he remembered the words of advice given to him by his mentor, he felt a bit more hopeful. Mr Pakrashi had told him that a combination of small and big roles make up a play.
Patol Babu started rehearsing his mono-syllabic dialogue in different rhythms and tones.
(c)
Answer: Mr Pakrashi, Patol Babu‘s mentor, had advised him to take every role seriously in a play. He had said that it is not one main role, but a combination of roles that made a play successful. On remembering Mr Pakrashi‘s words, Patol Babu stopped feeling miserable about his role. He started rehearsing his mono-syllabic dialogue with firm commitment. This is how he became a sincere team-player.
Question 5: Why did Patol Babu have to give up acting? How did he feel about it? Which line in para 11 tells you that?
Answer: Patol Babu gave up acting in 1943, when there were sudden dismissals in his office due to the Second World War. Ever since he lost his nine-year-old job, he struggled to make a living. He had tried every means of earning a livelihood without ever succeeding in improving his lot. Hence, acting had become a thing of the remote past.
Patol Babu regretted having to give up on acting. The line “Acting had become a thing of the remote past – something which he recalled at times with a sigh” shows this.
Question 6: Read the line and answer the questions:
The true actor could make a mark with this one syllable.
(a) What syllable is Patol Babu referring to? What discovery did he make about the syllable?
Answer: Patol Babu is referring to the syllable – “Oh”, his only dialogue in a film he was offered to act in. He felt a keen excitement and anticipation to work in the film. This was the same feeling he would have when he was about to go up on stage. He tried saying – “Oh” with despair once and again with sorrow. He realised that he could make a mark in the film with this single syllable.
(b) How did Patol Babu use this discovery and ‘make a mark’ with his acting?
Answer: While rehearsing, Patol Babu came up with an idea to make his acting look more natural on screen. He asked for a newspaper. Baren Mullick, the director, provided him with one. The shooting began and Patol Babu walked down the pavement only to bump into the hero. His head banged sharply with Patol Babu‘s and for a moment, Patol Babu saw stars in his eyes. Then he slowly gathered himself and with a perfect blend of surprise and irritation, he said – “Oh”. He seemed so natural that the director complimented his acting skills and said that he was quite an actor.
(c) Do you think this made him a ‘true actor’? Why do you think so?
Answer: This did make Patol Babu a true actor. Even though it bothered him initially, he took the small and insignificant role in his stride and made it a point to give it his best shot. He rehearsed his dialogue and came up with ways to make his acting look natural. His performance was enthusiastic and natural, so much so that the director took note of it and complimented his acting skills. True to his mentor‘s words, Patol Babu did prove that every role in a play or a film was important in making the whole thing complete.
Patol Babu Filmstar Questions & Answers
Question 7: Read the line and answer the questions:
“Jolly good! Why, you’re quite an actor!”
What does this line tell you about the film crew’s attitude towards Patol Babu? Can you find more such examples of the crew’s behavior? Do you think the crew would behave differently if they knew Patol Babu’s background?
Answer: The crew was encouraging and enthusiastic about every single actor present on the sets of the film, no matter how insignificant their roles were.
The crew showed immense patience while dealing with Patol Babu. Even when Patol Babu felt dejected about his role being a minor one, the rest of the crew members like Shoshanko and Jyoti cheered him up. They said that he might as well consider himself to be extremely fortunate to have bagged a regular, speaking part in the film.
The crew probably would have given him a few more dialogues if they knew of his acting background.
Question 8: Read the line and answer the questions:
Does this mean that Patol Babu was like a typical ‘film star’? In what ways do you think Patol Babu was a ‘star’? Do you think the tone of the title is mocking or sincere?
Answer: Patol Babu was not a typical film star. He was not a well-known face in the industry. But he was passionate about acting and had tried his hands in theatre. He had never been in a film so when he got the chance to play a part in a film, he was overjoyed.
Patol Babu took in his stride the small role that he was offered by the film crew. At first he felt dejected because his role was not as significant. He just had one dialogue to deliver. But later he regained his enthusiasm when he remembered what his mentor had told him – no matter how small the role is, it is not beneath anyone’s dignity to accept it. In fact, smaller roles make the play or the film, complete. Soon, Patol Babu was seen rehearsing his monosyllabic dialogue over and over again. To make himself look more natural, he asked for a prop before the shoot. When the shoot was over, Patol Babu was praised by the director for his effortless performance. The fact that Patol Babu did not shy away from delivering a single dialogue and gave his absolute best, makes him no less than a star.
The title is not mocking, but sincere. It hails Patol Babu as a film star and nothing less. Even though he was not a full-time actor or a celebrity actor, he had the spirit of one.
Question 9: What do they tell you about Patol Babu’s life and character?
(a) He was always in demand for amateur plays put up by the club in the neighbourhood. His name had appeared on handbills on countless occasions.
Answer: Patol Babu was a talented actor. He was well recognised by people for this.
(b) …..fifty-two-year-old Patol Babu did a little skin. He felt as if he had been born again.
Answer: Patol Babu felt a child-like joy when he was offered a role in a real film. It was a dream come true for him.
(c) “Oh yes. I must say I was quite taken aback. You think I’ll be all right for the part?” Patol Babu asked with great diffidence.
Answer: Patol Babu, in spite of being an experienced stage actor, was a humble man.
(d) “That’s odd…- that man hadn’t been paid yet. What a strange fellow!”
Answer: Patol Babu was not materialistic. He played the part in the film, not for money but because he had a sincere passion for acting.
(e) Patol Babu cleared his throat and began to practice speaking this one-syllable dialogue in various ways.
Answer: Patol Babu was a sincere and hard-working man. No matter what the job was, Patol Babu made sure to give his best.
So, these were Patol Babu Filmstar Questions & Answers.