48Th Kerala State Film Awards: An actor gets his due

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While shooting a rain sequence for the movie ‘

Aalorukkam

’ at around 4am in the morning, director

VC Abhilash

who was about to call for a break saw something which deeply struck him. Lead actor of the movie, Indrans, whose shoot was planned much later in the day, was dozing off on a stool, leaning against the wall.


“I was moved by that sight. There was no need for him to be there so early. We were busy with the shoot and we didn't even notice him. It seemed he was keen to be a part of the film,” said Abhilash, who developed the script for Aalorukkam, based on one of his published short stories. The role in the movie has now won Indrans his first best actor award.


Indrans began his film career as a costume designer but later switched to acting. His thin frame and peculiar face earned him ‘bit roles’ of nameless characters often assigned to do nothing but crane the neck and blurt out rubbish. So conscious was he about his frame, that Indrans, often in times of denial, consoled himself saying; “I am a misfit for solid roles. It's evident from what I look like”.

The actor fiercely engaged in a process of self-discovery in the recent past continuously associating himself with the parallel film movement. In films like

Kaadu pookkunna neram

, Munroethuruthu and Amoeba, he gleefully broke his deeply-ingrained belief and revelled in roles that were tailor-made for him: the grandfather in Munroethuruthu; a plantation worker who helplessly watches his family wilt away ravaged by a chemical in Amoeba and finally an Ottanthullal artiste who sets out in search of his son only to be left shaken by what awaits him in Ottamuri velicham. It is purely fitting that a set of directors who probed the obscure side of Indrans: T V Chandran, Dr Biju and Manoj Kana in their films were part of the jury, which handed out to him the best actor award.

Suraj Venjaramoodu (Thondimuthalum Drikshakshiyum and Savari) was well on his way to bag the best actor beating Fahadh Fazil until Aalorukkam was screened before the jury. “Indrans has huge untapped potential and richly deserves the award,'' said Manoj Kana, a jury member who has directed him in the film ‘Amoeba’.

‘Pappu Pisharidi’ in Aalorukkam is not a grief-stricken, wasted artiste. He gloats over memories of women followers and finds probable bride in a nurse for his son even while continuing his search. The climactic moment, expectant joy melts away into sheer despair. “Indrans is a very flexible actor. Of late, movies made good use of him because he fits into the profile of earthy characters very well,'' says Dr Biju, another jury member.