Stitching the threads of change: Malayalam actor Indrans as the multifaceted tailor
conversation; costume designer; costume designing; culture; film industry; interview; Malayalam cinema; performance
While many figures in Malayalam cinema have entered the industry through elite artistic networks, a parallel history is shaped by individuals whose artistic journeys emerge from domains of labour that have remained under-recognized within dominant cinematic narratives. Among them is the National Award-winning actor Indrans, whose humble beginnings as a costume designer and tailor constitute a framework for his foray into the film industry and a key component of his distinctive identity. Drawing on a reflective in-person interview with the actor, this conversation explores how Indrans consistently affirms and mobilizes his tailoring background, not as a past remaining in the periphery but as a vital source of embodied knowledge, aesthetic sensitivity and cultural authorship. The conversation foregrounds the continuities between material craft and screen performance, revealing how his artisanal expertise informs his minimalist acting style and creation of characters. Through evaluating his labour within broader shifts in the monetary systems of costume designing and holding an acting career in Malayalam cinema, the conversation situates Indrans as a unique prism, a befitting case in point for revisiting class, skill versus talent and performative authorship from the Kerala context, India, whose four decades of positioning in the Malayalam film industry become a repertoire of data, as an individual who possesses extensive experience and knowledge in the industry, and has witnessed the shifts for nearly half a century. An account of his journey invites a re-examination of the hierarchical structure of cinematic labour, where backstage artisanal work substantially impacts and optimizes on-screen performance. 2025 Intellect Ltd.
Studies in Costume and Performance;Volume;10;Issue;2;pp.261-278
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
https://doi.org/10.1386/scp_00152_7 https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105026356504?origin=resultslist
Rajan G.H., Department of English and Cultural Studies, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Dharmaram College Post, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Aiyappan A., Department of English and Cultural Studies, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Dharmaram College Post, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India