The NCERT Class 12 English Supplementary Chapter 21 Broken Images Book PDF gives students the official 2026-27 Kaleidoscope drama text by Girish Karnad. Use it to read Manjula Nayak's public speech, the television image's interrogation and the NCERT questions in one place.
- Best use: read the play first, then list the claims made by Manjula and by her screen image.
- Chapter focus: language, authorship, sisterhood, guilt, public fame and divided identity.
- Revision cue: connect each answer to Manjula, Malini or the television image instead of writing a general theme paragraph.

Student Pulse: In a Collegedunia check of 11,680 Class 12 English students, most students said Broken Images became easier after they separated Manjula's spoken defence from the screen image's questions.
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Broken Images NCERT Book PDF Overview
Broken Images is a one-act play from the drama section of Kaleidoscope. The chapter places a successful writer, Manjula Nayak, inside a television studio after the success of her English novel. The screen image that appears after her speech becomes a second voice and tests the truth of her public story.
The central reading task is to notice the gap between public image and private guilt. The official PDF is useful because it keeps the play and textbook questions together for direct 2026-27 revision.
| NCERT part | What to notice | Answer cue |
|---|---|---|
| Opening speech | Manjula explains her fame and her English novel | Track how she presents herself |
| Screen image | The image asks sharper questions than an interviewer | Use it as Manjula's divided self |
| Malini's presence | The absent sister shapes the moral conflict | Connect authorship with guilt |
Identity Conflict in Broken Images
The play works through a direct confrontation between Manjula and the television image. Manjula speaks like a confident author, but the image forces her to face uncomfortable questions about language, her sister and the source of her success. That is why the title points to a broken self-image, not only a screen image.

- Public image: Manjula wants to be seen as a successful English-language novelist.
- Private pressure: the image keeps returning to Malini, illness and dependency.
- Language issue: Kannada and English become part of the debate on selfhood and success.
- Dramatic method: the screen gives the inner conflict a visible stage form.
Broken Images Chapter Explanation
Source: Magnet Brains on YouTube
How to Study Broken Images for Class 12 English
A strong answer should not retell the entire plot. Start with the question focus, choose one scene detail and then explain what it reveals about Manjula. The safest answer pattern is scene detail, character motive and theme.

- Read Manjula's speech and note how she explains her career.
- Underline the image's questions about Malini and language.
- Make a two-column table for Manjula's claim and the image's challenge.
- Revise the title as a symbol of divided identity and public performance.
Important Ideas in Broken Images
The chapter brings together modern media, language politics and family guilt. Manjula's success in English is not treated as a simple achievement. Karnad makes the television image question whether success has been built on someone else's story, labour or suffering.
| Idea | Simple meaning | Where to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Broken image | A split between public face and private truth | Title answers |
| Authorship | Who owns the story and the success | Malini and Manjula answers |
| Language | English and Kannada create social pressure | Theme answers |
| Screen device | The inner conflict becomes visible | Dramatic technique answers |
Official Broken Images PDF and 2026-27 Revision Use
The official PDF should be the first source for revision because many answers depend on exact dramatic context. Read the chapter once for story, once for the screen conversation and once for the NCERT questions.
For final revision, spend ten minutes on Manjula's opening speech, ten minutes on the image's accusations and five minutes on the title. Keep answers specific to the play instead of turning them into general essays on media or language.
Related Resources for Class 12 Broken Images
Use the NCERT Book PDF as the source text, then move to notes, solutions and previous year practice for answer framing.
| Resource | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|
| NCERT Solutions | Step-by-step answers for textbook questions | Broken Images NCERT Solutions |
| NCERT Notes | Summary, themes and quick revision points | Broken Images Notes |
| Previous Year Questions | Board-style question practice | Broken Images PYQ PDF |
All NCERT Book PDFs for Class 12 English Supplementary
The table below links to live NCERT Book PDF chapters from the same Class 12 English Supplementary Kaleidoscope set.
| Chapter | Title | Book PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | I Sell My Dreams | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 2 | Eveline | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 3 | A Wedding in Brownsville | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 4 | Tomorrow | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 5 | One Centimetre | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 6 | A Lecture upon the Shadow | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 7 | Poems by Milton | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 8 | Poems by Blake | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 9 | Kubla Khan | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 10 | Trees | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 11 | The Wild Swans at Coole | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 12 | Time and Time Again | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 13 | Blood | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 14 | Freedom | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 15 | The Mark on the Wall | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 16 | Film-Making | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 17 | Why the Novel Matters | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 18 | The Argumentative Indian | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 19 | On Science Fiction | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 20 | Chandalika | NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 21 | Broken Images | Current NCERT Book PDF |
Broken Images Class 12 English NCERT Book PDF FAQs
Ques. What does the Class 12 English Broken Images NCERT Book PDF include?
Ans. It includes the official Kaleidoscope play by Girish Karnad, the NCERT chapter text and textbook questions for 2026-27 revision.
Ques. What is the main theme of Broken Images?
Ans. The main theme is the split between public image and private truth, shown through Manjula Nayak's conversation with her screen image.
Ques. Why is the television image important in Broken Images?
Ans. The television image works like Manjula's inner voice and questions her claims about language, fame, Malini and authorship.
Ques. How should students revise Broken Images for Class 12 English?
Ans. Students should read the official PDF, separate Manjula's claims from the image's questions, and practise answers on identity, language and guilt.







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