After the Kerala state film awards were announced in 2016, Indrans had some harsh words in store for the award jury. According to manoramaonline, the actor said that he never expected the award—that height, colour and marketability were a big factor when it came to the selecting the winners. Two of his movies—Amoeba and Munroe Island—had gotten him a nomination for the best actor award. Speaking to a news channel, he was even more biting in his criticism: “People are losing faith in award shows, but the state film awards at least should be more honest and open.”
A powerhouse of talent, the demure actor started off with comedy roles. After hundreds of films in such roles, acting alongside titans like Jagathy Sreekumar and K.P.A.C. Lalitha, he got his first break in a serious role. He played the role of a thief in Kathavasheshan, a mystery film directed by T.V. Chandran. In the later years, his repertoire would expand. Some of his best works were in Manu's Munroe Island (Mundrothuruth) where worlds collide in a little speck of land when the grandfather meets a deranged grandson; Vinod Mankara's Kamboji, a story of love and loss set in the backdrop of Kerala's traditional arts; Ranjith's tragic Leela, adapted from a short story by writer Unni R.; Manoj Kana's Amoeba, shining a light on the Kasargod endosulfan tragedy; Chandran Narikkod's Paathi explores foeticide, set amid the haunting and colourful Theyyam festivities in Kerala.
After years, the actor got his due with the 2017 Kerala state film award for best actor (for Aalorukkam). He had a moniker—Kerala's Charlie Chaplin. Just like the illustrious Chaplin, Indrans too had to overcome many difficulties in life to reach where he is now. Born in Kumarapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, he was a tailor for many years and had to stop his education with the fourth grade. As Indrans said in an interview with Manorama News, “You have to be an ordinary man to enjoy being an actor.”