Indrans dons home-stitched blazer at Shanghai film fest

Surendran Kochuvelu is hardly known to anyone in Malayalam filmdom. But Indrans is a household name for those who love Malayalam comedy films. Having debuted in Malayalam cinema as a comedian in 1981, this multi-faceted talent had for long been type-cast as a side-kick for his slender physique and clownish gesticulations.

After winning the Kerala state film award for the best actor in 2017 for the film Aalorukkam directed by V C Abhilash, Indrans took Malayalam cinema to new heights this year by securing 'Outstanding artistic achievement' at Shanghai international film festival, China, for Dr Biju's 'Veyil marangal.' Indrans walked down the red-carpet ramp at Shanghai representing Malayalam film industry. Mollywood audience celebrated the visuals of their favorite character artist winning an international recognition, on social media. Indrans, flaunting a stunning charcoal gray formal suit, looked as cheerful as ever.

Well, how often do you spot Indrans flaunting a formal suit? Very rarely, one would say. So there ought to be a story behind that perfectly–stitched suit Indrans wore to Shanghai film festival venue. Onmanorama caught up with Indrans to ask about his costume.

“This is the very first time I am wearing a coat. We stitched it at out at home just two days before I left for China,” Indrans said. It was director Dr. Biju who informed Indrans just two days before their trip commenced, that there is a costume protocol for the red-carpet event they were set to attend. “I got nervous. Though I have attended certain formal functions in the US, I had never worn a formal suit. A neat pair of trousers and a matching shirt has always been my formals. Otherwise, I would wear a dhoti,” Indrans says.

Indrans' two younger brothers who run his costume designing store, Vijayakumar and Jayakumar, marked the actor's measurements and stitched a formal suit for their elder brother within just two days.

Indrans says that he was almost suffocating inside the formal wear. 'I longed to get back to my room and switch to my usual costume,' he said. Indrans admits that he feels comfortable on wearing a pair of casual pants and a half-sleeved shirt. 'I wouldn't miss a chance to wear mundu,' says the actor.

Indrans, a costume designer himself, says that the western formal wear interests him only on designing or stitching it – not on wearing it.

Didn't know it was a grand affair

When asked about his experience at Shanghai international film festival, Indrans said that he was unaware of its worth until Keralites started lauding his achievement on social media. “Dr Biju said that our movie has been selected for an award at Shanghai film fest. He said I have to accompany him to China. I obeyed him without asking a counter question. I realized the worth of our achievement only when I started getting the responses,” Indrans says.

The actor said that the Shanghai international film festival and the award ceremony that followed gave him a celestial experience.

Though Indrans enjoyed every bit of the time he spent in China, the local food gave him a really tough time. “I am a vegetarian. The rice available in China is really small and clumsy when compared to ours. They eat it using chopsticks. I struggled to survive without eating Kerala food. Yet, I believe that every experience counts. I had a great time in China,” he concludes.