Kerala: Rolling out masks, one stitch at a time

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: He is the recipient of Kerala state’s best actor award. A few months ago, he had received best actor award at Singapore South Asian International Film fest. But, that does not keep actor Indrans away from the profession where it all started. Known for his down-to-earth personality, Indrans donned a tailor’s role again to demonstrate production of cloth masks. This time, it is not on reel, but for real.
The video featuring Indrans making masks using a sewing machine was uploaded on the Facebook page of Kerala Disaster Help Desk on Tuesday.In the video, Indrans joins the team of inmates at Poojappura central prison to explain how anyone with basic tailoring skills could make masks in their own house. Within minutes, the video went viral, with all hailing the actor for his simplicity and dedication. The actor said that he went to the prison after getting a call from the social security mission. “They asked whether I could give awareness to public about mask making. Through the video, we tell that anyone can make a mask with minimum sewing skills. It won’t even need a sewing machine. We all have unused cloth materials at home. It could be easily made even using hand stitching,” he said.
To anyone who plans to make cloth mask at home, Indrans has a tip to offer: Place a non-woven fabric in between two layers of cloth. “It is the same material that we get as carrybags after the ban on plastic carry bags. Or else, another thick layer of cloth will do,” he said. Indrans said that the staff of tailoring units run by his brothers have all gone back to their native places due to lockdown or else they could be made useful for production of more masks. “With the spread of disease at this rate, all are recommended to wear masks,” he said.
Indrans had a hearty laugh when told about the video going viral and he getting accolades. “I could only do what I know. That is the contribution I could make,” he said. Mask production has started in 55 prisons in the state. Over 2.85 lakh masks were produced till March 31.