M T Vasudevan Nair, Iconic Writer And Filmmaker, Passes Away At 91

M T Vasudevan Nair, the legendary Malayalam writer and filmmaker, breathed his last at 91. He was taken away by death after prolonged illness, finally succumbing to heart failure at a private hospital in Kozhikode. His demise has compelled the Kerala government to announce two days of state mourning.

Madath Thekkepat Vasudevan Nair, popularly known as M T, was one of the most influential cultural figures in Kerala. His nearly seven-decade-long career has left an indelible mark on both literature and cinema. Born in Kudallur village in Kerala’s Palakkad district in 1934, Nair’s works, deeply rooted in the agrarian life along the river Nila-also called Bharathpuzha-reflect his upbringing in an upper caste Nair family.

His literary contributions are well appreciated for their authenticity and vivid depiction of the transformation of matrilineal Hindu families in North Kerala. His novels, Naalukettu, Asuravithu, and Kaalam, set against the backdrop of Valluvanad, erstwhile princely state, explore the turbulent changes experienced by the matrilineal families of the region.

His characters in his novels, often selected from his cultural background, have stunned readers with the deep emotional complexity along with their vivid authenticity. He is a celebrated writer not only in Kerala but throughout India, thanks to his own unique style in narration.

Literary Achievements of M T Vasudevan Nair

M T’s writing career started way back. Just at the age of 23, he bagged the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for his maiden novel, Naalukettu (1959). And from then began his long and fruitful journey as a writer. Over the years, his remarkable writings won him many other prizes and honors. The attention for his novel Kaalam published in 1969 gained him the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award.

Throughout his prolific career, Nair produced other landmark works such as Asuravithu (1962), Manju (1964), and Randamoozham (1984), all of which are considered masterpieces of Malayalam literature.

Randamoozham, often regarded as Nair’s magnum opus, presents the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata through the eyes of Bhima, one of the Pandavas. The novel’s fresh and unconventional retelling of this timeless story helped cement Nair’s place as one of India’s most revered writers.

His last novel, Varanasi, published in 2002 marked the culmination of a glittering career as a novelist. Still, even when he ceased writing fiction, Nair’s contributions to literature and cinema remained immeasurable.

Malayalam Cinema Pioneer

M T Vasudevan Nair was another pioneer in Malayalam cinema. He not only scripted 45 films but also directed seven and, amazingly, won the rare combination of critical success and box office success. His earliest association with cinema was through scripting the movie Murappennu in 1965. Nirmalyam was his directorial debut in 1973, which received the National Award for the Best Feature Film that year.

Apart from the commercial mainstream cinema, Nair’s screenplays were celebrated for their depth of artistic vision and new takes on folklore and history. The screenplays for Perumthachan and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha took old stories of Kerala’s great tradition and presented them with a twist, to general acclaim.

Though he was successful in cinema, Nair always considered literature his foremost identity. In an interview, he once said, “I am first and foremost a writer; text is my priority. I have been a journalist; similarly, worked in films. Not that cinema is inferior to literature in any way, but it is books that define me.”

M T’s Early Life And Career

Born into a cultured family of the Palakkad district, literature was in M T since his early days. Little did it matter that magazines and books brought home from school by his elder brother were almost all that passed through M T’s youthful hands and eyes. Indeed, in contrast to any other boy who played sports, Nair was drawn into a world of literary imagination.

He finished his schoolings at his native village. Nair received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree from Victoria College, Palakkad. While still a student there, Nair won the World Short Story Competition at New York Herald Tribune. It became the defining moment of his career as a writer.

In 1956 M T shifted to Kozhikode and there began the journalistic career working as sub-editor of Mathrubhumi literary magazine. And then, becoming the editor in 1965 from where he held that until 1981. Over his long years, however, he always maintained constant relations with literary and cultural development of Kerala; one can say with conviction; besides, M T always had close affinity for serving as the president of Kerala Sahitya Akademi, or else leading Thunchan Memorial Trust and Research Centre.

M T Vasudevan Nair’s outstanding contributions to literature and cinema have been recognized by many prestigious awards throughout his life. In 1995, he was awarded the Jnanpith Award, which is the highest literary honor in India. In 2005, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in the country. In 2022, he was awarded the Kerala Jyothi Award, the highest civilian honor from the Kerala government.

The passing of M T Vasudevan Nair marks the end of an era in Malayalam literature and cinema. Literary works characterized by deep empathy, authenticity, and insight into the social and cultural dynamics of Kerala will go on to influence generations of readers and writers. Equally, his films have an indelible stamp of artistic vision and cultural relevance on Malayalam cinema.

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