Patol Babu – An Overview

Introduction

Patol Babu, Film Star was written by Bengali director Satyajit Ray. 52-year-old Patol Babu” was allowed to perform a very brief role as a” pedestrian” in a movie.

Summary

Patol Babu was a resident of “Calcutta” and a worker. But he lost his nine-year job as a result of the war. He then made numerous attempts at jobs and companies but failed. Patol Babu is a short-sighted, middle-aged man with a bald head. He used to perform in several neighbourhood plays and dramas when he was younger. He was forced to stop his hobbies, as a result, to pursue his career for the next few years. But unexpectedly, he was given the chance to play a small part in a movie being created by a well-known filmmaker. Patol Babu is quite happy to have received that opportunity since it has reignited his passion for performing.

When Patol Babu arrives at the location of the shooting, he learns that all he was given was a minor part. made him upset. But he thinks back to the priceless lessons he learned from his theatre mentor, who taught him that no role is small and that an artist should give every role they play their best. Patol Babu practises extensively before the shoot. He is so overjoyed and deeply satisfied with the work that he exits the location of the shoot before even receiving payment for the part.

About the author

“Satyajit Ray” is an Indian director who produced “Bengali- movies”. He is considered one of the best filmmakers of the “20th century”. Ray was the director of “36 movies”, including long and short films as well as “documentaries”

Satyajit Ray

Conclusion

Personal fulfilment at work is more significant than any other factor.  Because of his love of acting, Patol Babu decided to pursue a career in movies after realising that inner fulfilment could not be evaluated or weighted by money.

Textbook Questions and Answers 

1. What was the news that Nishikanto Ghosh gave to Patol Babu?

Ans: A neighbour of Patol Babu, Nishikanto Ghosh, informed him that Naresh Dutt, who worked in the film industry, was looking for an actor. Nishikanto believed that Patol Babu’s personality fit the description and that he also needed money. He then offered him his address so that he could contact him and explain the role.

2. How did Patol Babu react Why?

Ans: Patol Babu was shocked and in disbelief that a fifty-two-year-old nobody like him could be offered a role in a movie. He had a deep love for acting. He became so preoccupied with his thoughts that he was confused and made the wrong purchases at the market.

3. Why had Patol Babu lost his first job in Calcutta?

Ans: In “Calcutta”, Patol Babu had spent the previous nine years working with “Hudson and Kimberley”. The corporation suffered losses as a result of “W

1. To reduce costs, it suffered retrenchment, which caused Patol Babu to lose his way of employment.

4. How does Patol Babu reconcile to the dialogue given to him?

Ans: Patol Babu recalls the acting guru’s teachings. No role is small, and one should always play it to its greatest potential. Patol Babu decided to put everything he had into it.

5. Who was Mr. Pakrashi? How do his words help Patol Babu in enacting his role?

Ans; When Patol Babu first began acting on stage, Mr. Pakrashi served as his mentor. He had told Patol Babu that every role, no matter how small, was crucial. He had a responsibility as an actor to convey to the audience the emotions and expression of his character. These words made him understand how potent the word “oh” alone was. 

6. How do we know that Patol Babu was a meticulous man?

Ans: Patol Babu’s involvement in various activities demonstrates his meticulous nature. First of all, he arrived just in time for the shooting. He made an effort to learn as much as he could about the movie, including the director’s and star actor’s names. To have adequate time to prepare for his part, he asked to receive his dialogue in advance. He continued practicing even after being given a single word in the name of dialogue. He even kept track of the steps needed to time his crash with the star actor.

7. Why did Mr. Mullick turn down Patol Babu’s request for a rehearsal?

Ans: The significance of the position assigned to Patol Babu was known to Mr. Mullick. He turned down Patol Babu’s request since he did not want to waste time on practice.

8. What were the special touches that Patol Babu gave to his role to make it more authentic?

Ans: To make his dialogue as genuine as possible, Patol Babu practiced it in several ways. To appear like a distracted pedestrian, he wanted to hold a newspaper. These are a few instances of the unique touches Patol Babu added to his performance to give it a more genuine feel.

Patol Babu Extra Questions

1. What did Patol Babu find most exciting?

Ans: Patol Babu was a dedicated actor. In fact, at one point, people would buy tickets only to see him perform. However, he abandoned everything and relocated from Kanchrapara to Calcutta after receiving a job offer with higher pay.

2. Do you believe Patol Babu was content with his career?

Ans: No, because Patol Babu frequently changed occupations and career paths and had a difficult time making ends meet without succeeding in bettering his situation.

3. What was the role assigned to Patol Babu?

In the story “Patol Babu, Film Star” by Satyajit Ray, the role assigned to Patol Babu is that of a pedestrian who witnesses a robbery on a street. Patol Babu is a middle-aged man who used to act in stage plays in his youth, but he has not acted in many years. When he is offered the role of a pedestrian in the film, he initially feels disappointed, as he was hoping for a more substantial role. However, he eventually decides to give his best to the role and ends up impressing everyone with his performance, despite having only one line of dialogue in the scene.

4. What, in your opinion, makes Patol Babu a more admirable human being than a performer?

Ans: He considered his role to be more significant than the opportunity. He wanted to know what his dialogues were so that he could practice them. He frequently practiced his dialogues for a flawless delivery as a theater performer.