Indra Kumar is very forthright about his filmmaking creative philosophy. It is to provide wholesome entertainment to the audience without bifurcating them into a 'class v/s. mass' category. According to him, 'a comic moment or a poignant emotional scene should move everyone. Humanity should not be based on a low or a high common denominator'. Indra Kumar has, perhaps, inculcated this philosophy from being able to observe the film industry, and the world of dramatics, from very close quarters, right from his childhood. He is a privileged member of the Faredoon Irani family (his father, Mr. Faredoon Irani was a pioneer in Gujarati theatre, and in his lifetime, produced over 500 plays in Gujarati and Hindi).
There was also plenty of other inspiration at home in form of his famous actress sibling, Aruna Irani. He started out as an actor in Gujarati cinema. An astute observer, Indra was quickly dissatisfied with the way Gujarati films were being made. His frustration stemmed from the fact that he was being forced to act in films with cliched formulaic plots with no emphasis on quality. Whenever he objected, pat came the answer that it was very easy for an actor to make comment as the financial and creative responsibility did not rest with him. These answers acted as the catalyst for Indra Kumar. He decided that he would venture into Gujarati film production on his own, not just to prove a point, but to make quality wholesome entertaining films. This strategy, he felt, would also automatically guarantee financial success. Thus started a sequence of super hit Gujarati films including 'Rangilee Gujarathan' (1979), 'Gangapur Ni Ganga' (1980), 'Suhagan' (1981) and 'Charotar Ni-Champa' (1982).
The next step in the evolution of any Indian regional filmmaker is to step into the world of Hindi cinema. Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria were both at crossroads in their lives, when they discovered in each other, the perfect foil for the production sector. It was the formation of one of the most enduring partnerships, in form of Maruti International (in the year 1983), in the Hindi film industry. They started out by producing 'Mohabbat' (Director: Bapu, 1985), a creditable courageous first production with a rural backdrop. Indra Kumar's belief in his philosophy, as exemplified by his Gujarati films, was proven right here also, as the film became a runaway hit. His next production, 'Kasam' (Director: Umesh Mehra, 1988) was a monumental production for him. Indra Kumar, whilst very happy with the direction of the film, felt that to really control their (his and Ashok's) destiny, one of them would have to don the mantle of the director himself. The choice fell on Indra, and he started working earnestly on 'Dil'. 'Dil' (1990) went on to break box office records all over the country (it was a golden jubilee), catapulting Indra Kumar into the limited membership of the 'a' category directors club. 'Beta' (1992, again a golden jubilee) and 'Raja' (1995, another golden jubilee) followed, cementing his position for posterity. His only venture for an outside banner, 'Ishq' (1997, golden jubilee) also was a runaway hit.
Indra Kumar has always believed in his core philosophy. As a director, he has added a few more tenets to this philosophy, the emphasis on the screenplay, melodious music and most importantly, the choice of appropriate actors. Indra Kumar firmly believes that the right rapport with his actors can help in extracting the right level of performance. This is exemplified by the numerous awards, won by various actors, for performing in his films. The awards include the two best actress Filmfare awards won by Madhuri Dixit for 'Dil' and 'Beta', and the best actor Filmfare award won by Anil Kapoor for 'Beta'. There have also been more than 20 other Filmfare award nominations for their films, including Paresh Rawal for 'Raja' (Best supporting actor nomination), and Aruna Irani for 'Beta' (Best supporting actress award).
