An actor’s impact is not measured by the length of the character in the film but the emotional connect. Audiences remember their scenes long after the credits roll and take out time to google his name. Such was the performance of this veteran actor in the recently released Tamil film Karuppu. Known for his work in Malayalam cinema, this actor has a life story that is no less than a cinematic journey of its own.
His performance in the emotionally resonant role of Mattancherry Sukumaran has received widespread attention ever since the film’s release. But did you know how Indrans has been slowly carving his place in the film industry? We are talking about none other than Indrans.
Forced to drop out of school
Born on March 16, 1956, in Thiruvananthapuram as Surendran Kochuvelu, Indrans had to drop out of school at a young age, as his family didn’t have enough money to pay for the uniform. “My schooling and childhood were all in Kumarapuram, Thiruvananthapuram. I was very good at my studies and consistently got the first rank. Back then, bright students were made to sit on the front benches; so I was always a ‘front-bench’ student,” he told Reporter Live.
To make ends meet, he started to learn tailoring from his uncle and worked under him. Together with his brother K Jayakumar, he later opened a shop named Indran’s Brothers Tailors in Thiruvananthapuram. It led to more opportunities as he started working as a costume designer in the Malayalam film industry. His easy wit and eagerness to learn took him in front of the camera as he started to act in Doordarshan television serials and feature in small roles in films with directors including P Padmarajan, Venu Nagavalli, Shaji N Karun, Sibi Malayil and K Madhu.
His IMDb page now shows that Indrans has acted in more than 500 films. He earned renewed attention and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Aalorukkam. He gained widespread acclaim and went on to win the Special Mention at the 69th National Film Awards for his performance in director Rojin Thomas’ Home (2021).