End of an era: Malayalam's beloved writer MT Vasudevan Nair passes away

KOZHIKODE: Renowned Malayalam writer MT Vasudevan Nair has passed away. He was 91 years old. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode for the past few days. Doctors had recently informed that his heart and kidney functions were slowing down, and he was under observation. He was born on July 15, 1933, in Kudallur, Palakkad district.

MT, who made significant contributions to both Malayalam literature and cinema, was awarded the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour in the country, in 1995. In 2005, the country honoured him with the Padma Bhushan award. Some of his most famous novels, such as Manju, Nalukettu, Asuravithu, Kaalam, Randamoozham, and Arabiponnu (written together with N.P. Mohammed), have been widely discussed. His short stories like Iruttinte Athmavu, Ninte Ormakku, Kuttyettathi, Olavum Theeravum, Sherlock, Vanaprastham, Vedhanayude Pookkal, and Raktham Puranda Mantharikal have also been widely read and discussed.

Many of these stories were later adapted into screenplays. He also directed films like national award-winning films such as Nirmalyam and Oru Cheru Punchiri. Nirmalyam, released in 1973, was his directorial debut. The film, based on his story Pallivalum Kaalchilambum, won the National and State Awards for Best Film that year. He also directed films like Mohiniyattam, Bandhanam, Devalokam, Vaarikuzhi, Manju, Kadavu, and Oru Cheru Punchiri.

MT penned scripts for around 63 films. He began his journey in screenplay writing with the 1965 film Murapennu. His most recent work was the 2023 TV series Manorathangal. Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair was born as the youngest son of T Narayanan Nair and Ammalu Amma. He completed his early education at Malamakkavu Elementary School and Kumaranellur High School, followed by higher studies at Victoria College, Palakkad, where he earned a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry.

After graduation, MT worked as a teacher at Pattambi and Chavakkad High Schools and at MB Tutorials in Palakkad. In 1956, he joined the Mathrubhumi weekly as a junior editor. When NV Krishna Warrier resigned as editor-in-chief in 1968, MT took over the role, serving until 1981. After a brief hiatus, he returned in 1989 as the editor of Mathrubhumi Periodicals and retired in 1999. MT's personal life saw him first married to Prameela and later to dancer Kalamandalam Saraswathi. He has two daughters: Sitara, who works with Johnson & Johnson in the US, and Aswathi, a dancer.