How long can a dream wait?
For K Surendran, better known to millions as Indrans — the answer is more than six decades.
At an age when many people are settling into retirement and looking back on life, the celebrated Malayalam actor walked into a classroom carrying a school bag and a dream he had been forced to leave behind as a child.
It was a quiet moment, far removed from film sets and award ceremonies. Yet, in many ways, it was one of the most significant milestones of his life.
Because before the applause, the acclaim and the national recognition, there was a little boy from Thiruvananthapuram who simply loved going to school.
A bright student and a class topper, young Surendran was happiest in the classroom. He sat in the front row, eager to learn, believing education would shape his future. But poverty had other plans.
For Indrans, education was never just about certificates, it was a lifelong dream he carried quietly from childhood, even after leaving school in Class 4.
When his family could no longer afford even a school uniform, he was forced to leave school after Class 4. The decision was not his, but it altered the course of his life. While other children continued their education, Surendran stepped into the world of work, carrying responsibilities far bigger than his years.
Yet even as life moved on, the dream of learning never truly left him.
From a tailor’s shop to the silver screen
To support his family, Surendran began learning tailoring from his uncle at a young age. What started as a means of survival gradually became a profession. Over time, he mastered the craft and opened a small tailoring shop of his own.
Named Indrans Brothers Tailors, the modest establishment would unknowingly give birth to the name by which the entire country would one day know him.
Tailoring eventually brought him to Malayalam film sets, where he worked as a costume designer. Behind the scenes, he earned a reputation for his dedication, humour and quick wit. Those qualities soon opened another unexpected door — acting.
Recognition came late, but Indrans never stopped believing he could become more than what life first allowed him to be. Photograph: (The News Minute ( Enhanced with AI))
The roles were initially small and often overlooked. For years, Indrans remained on the fringes, appearing in supporting and comic roles that rarely drew much attention. But he persisted, building a career one performance at a time.
Then came CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed., the film that introduced him to a wider audience and transformed him into a familiar face across Kerala.
Over the years, he appeared in hundreds of films, becoming one of Malayalam cinema’s most recognisable character actors. Yet despite his popularity, he found himself repeatedly cast in comic roles.
Indrans knew he had more to offer.
Beyond comic roles, a career-defining transformation
For years, audiences knew Indrans primarily as a comic actor. His expressive face and effortless humour made him a familiar presence on screen, but he was often confined to roles that rarely showcased the full extent of his abilities.
Then came Aalorukkam (2017).
Playing the role of a father searching for his daughter, Indrans delivered a deeply nuanced performance that surprised audiences and critics alike.
More than 60 years after dropping out due to poverty, Indrans sat for examinations again, proving that learning has no age limit.
The film earned him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor, marking a turning point in a career that had spent decades waiting for such recognition.
It was a remarkable achievement for someone who had entered the film industry not as an actor, but as a tailor.
Yet even after earning some of Indian cinema’s highest honours, there was one unfinished chapter he could not forget.
How one role changed the course of his career
In 2024, at the age of 68, Indrans returned to school.
More than six decades had passed since poverty forced him to leave the classroom after Class 4. By then, he had become a celebrated actor, won prestigious awards, and earned the admiration of millions.
None of those accomplishments could replace the education he had once lost.
Speaking about his decision, he said, “Being illiterate is like being blind. I wanted to see the world.”
From a classroom he was forced to leave, to one he chose to return to, Indrans’ journey comes full circle.
For Indrans, education was never merely about examinations or certificates. It was about reclaiming a part of himself that circumstances had taken away.
It was about fulfilling a promise he had silently carried since childhood.
The world celebrates Indrans for the actor he became — the award winner, the performer, the beloved face of Malayalam cinema.
But his return to the classroom reveals something even more profound: a man who never allowed hardship to dictate the limits of his future.
From a schoolboy forced to drop out, to a tailor supporting his family, to a national award-winning actor, and finally a student once again, his life is proof that dreams do not come with an expiry date.
