K. Surendran, better known by his stage nameIndrans, is an Indian actor and former costume designer, who appears in Malayalam films. He started his film career as a costume designer and actor in 1981 and got a breakthrough in 1994 with the comedy movie CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed. Indrans was popular for his comedy roles in the 1990s and 2000s.
Indrans was born on 16 March 1956. He is third among the seven children of Palavila Kochuvelu and Gomathi at Kumarapuram, Thiruvananthapuram.[2] He has four sisters and two brothers.
Indrans had to face financial problems at his house and joined his uncle to learn tailoring. Later, he joined amateur arts clubs and began acting in dramas. He started his acting career in television serial Kaliveedu in Doordarshan. Along with his brother, K. Jayakumar, he opened a tailoring shop named Indran's Brothers Tailors in Kumarapuram, Thiruvananthapuram.[3]
Acting career
Indrans made his debut in the 1981 film Choothattam both as a costume designer and as an actor.[4][5] The producer, TMN Charley, offered him a chance to assist him in costume designing and he worked with designing costumes for several years, acting in various small roles. He got noticed for playing a small role of a marriage broker in the 1993 film Meleparambil Anveedu. Indrans got his breakthrough with his role in CID Unnikrishnan B.A., BEd (1994). This led to him being cast in various comedic roles in the films of the 1990s. Indrans’ lean figure and peculiar way of delivering his dialogue and mannerisms made him a popular comedian in Malayalam cinema during these period. Some of his memorable roles came with the movies such as Malappuram Haji Mahanaya Joji, Manathe Kottaram, Vadhu Doctoranu, Aadyathe Kanmani, Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava etc.[6] He played the character "Uthaman" in the 1998 cult hitPunjabi House. Indrans' combination with Harishree Ashokan resulted in some of the successful films.
In the early 2000s he also started playing some minor character roles. Subsequently, his role of a thief in the 2004 film Kathavasheshan got him noticed as a character actor. In Rahasya Police (2009), Indrans was revealed to be the villain of the movie at the end. He played another villain role in Pottas Bomb (2013).[7] Indrans won the Kerala State Film Award – Special Mention for his performance in the 2014 film Apothecary.
In 2021, he played the lead role of Oliver Twist in Home. The movie was well acclaimed by the critics and audience especially praising Indrans' performance.[16]
Personal life
Indrans married Santhakumari on 23 February 1985. They have a daughter Mahitha and a son Mahendran.[17]