M. T. Vasudevan Nair | |
|---|---|
 M.T. in 2015 | |
| Born | Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (1933-07-15)15 July 1933 |
| Died | 25 December 2024(2024-12-25) (aged 91) |
| Occupation | Novelist,short story writer,screenplay writer, film director |
| Language | Malayalam,English |
| Alma mater | Victoria College, Palakkad |
| Genre | Novel, short story, children's literature,travelogue, essays |
| Subject | Social aspects, Oriented on the basic Kerala family and cultures |
| Notable works | |
| Notable awards | |
| Spouse | |
| Signature | |
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Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair (15 July 1933 – 25 December 2024) was an Indian author, lecturer,screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modernMalayalam literature, and was one of the masters of post-Independence Indian literature.Randamoozham, which retells the story of theMahabharata from the point of view ofBhimasena, is widely credited as his masterpiece.
At the age of 20, as a chemistry undergraduate, he won the prize for the best short story in Malayalam forValarthumrigangal at World Short Story Competition jointly conducted byNew York Herald Tribune,Hindustan Times, andMathrubhumi. His first major novel,Naalukettu (The Legacy), written at the age of 23, won theKerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958. His other novels includeManju (Mist),Kaalam (Time),Asuravithu (The Demon Seed), andRandamoozham (The Second Turn). The emotional experiences of his early days went into his novels, and most of his works are oriented towards the basic Malayalam family structure and culture. His three novels set in traditionaltharavads in Kerala areNaalukettu,Asuravithu, andKaalam.
MT was a screenwriter and director ofMalayalam films. He directed seven films and wrote the screenplay for around 54 films. He won theNational Film Award for Best Screenplay four times, for:Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989),Kadavu (1991),Sadayam (1992), andParinayam (1994), which is the most by anyone in the screenplay category. In 1995 he was awarded the highest literary award in India,Jnanpith, for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature. In 2005, India's third-highest civilian honour,Padma Bhushan, was awarded to him. He died inKozhikode on 25 December 2024. In 2025, he receivedPadma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour,posthumously.
Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair[1] was born on 15 July 1933[2] in the village ofKudallur, then inPonnani Taluk (now inPattambi Taluk,Palakkad District).[3] His birthplace fell underMalabar District in erstwhileMadras Presidency of theBritish Raj. He was the youngest of four children born to T. Narayanan Nair and Ammalu Amma.[4] His father was inCeylon, and he spent his early days in Kudallur and in his father's house inPunnayurkulam, a village in the present-dayThrissur district.[4] Although his family did not nurture an interest in reading, Nair started writing at an early age and had his work published in magazines.[5]
MT attended Malamakkavu Elementary School and then Kumaranelloor High School. He had to break education after high school, and when he joined college in 1949, he was advised to opt for the science stream as it was felt that a degree in science secured a job faster than any other degree.[6] He obtained a degree in chemistry fromVictoria College, Palakkad in 1953.[6][5]
MT taught mathematics inPattambi Board High School andChavakkad Board High School for over a year and worked in M.B. Tutorial College, Palakkad during 1955–56.[7] He also worked as a gramasevakan at a block development office inTaliparamba,Kannur for a few weeks before joiningMathrubhumi Weekly as subeditor in 1957.[6][5]
MT began writing at a very young age, inspired by his elder brothers who wrote time and again in several literary journals and poetAkkitham Achuthan Namboothiri who was his senior at high school.[7] He initially wrote poems but soon changed to prose writing.[7] His first published work was an essay on the diamond industry of ancient India, titled "Pracheenabharathathile Vaira Vyavasayam", which appeared inKeralakshemam, a biweekly published by C. G. Nair fromGuruvayoor. His first story "Vishuvaghosham" was published inMadras-basedChitrakeralam magazine in 1948. The story explores the feelings of a boy too poor to havefirecrackers of his own, as he stands listening to the sounds of crackers coming from the houses of the rich celebrating the new year festival ofVishu: an overwhelming sense of loss, the painful realisation that this is the way things are and the way they're likely to stay.[8] His first book,Raktham Puranda Manaltharikal was published in 1952.[4]
MT's first literary prize came to him while he was a student at Victoria College, Palakkad – his short story "Valarthumrigangal" (Pet Animals) won first prize in the World Short Story Competition conducted byThe New York Herald Tribune,Hindustan Times, andMathrubhumi in 1954.[6] It was a short story delineating the pathetic plight of circus artistes. The numerous stories that followed dealt with themes culled from widely different milieus and contexts but were uniformly successful and popular.[6]
The noted collections of his stories areIruttinte Athmavu, Olavum Theeravum, Bandhanam, Varikkuzhi, Dare-e-Salam, Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam, Vaanaprastham andSherlock.[9] "Iruttinte Athmavu" ("Soul of Darkness"), one of the most celebrated among his short stories, is the heart wrenching story of a 21-year-old man, regarded as a lunatic by everyone and treated abominably. The story reveals the insanity behind the civilised and supposedly sane world. The story "Sherlock" moves between the rural milieu familiar to MT's readers and the sophisticated world of Indian immigrants in the US, highlighting the contrast between them with subtle irony. Nair wrote passionately of the cruelty hidden at the heart of a seemingly idyllic rural life ("Kurukkante Kalyanam" or "The Jackal's Wedding" and "Shilalikhithangal" or "Stone Inscriptions") and of the privations endured by those dependent on the agricultural cycle ("Karkitakom" and "Pallivalum Kalchilambum" or "Sacred Sword and Anklets"). In the story "Vanaprastham", he studies the delicately balanced relationship between a teacher and a student that has miraculously survived the years.[10]
MT was of the opinion that short story is a genre in which a writer can achieve near perfection. He, along withT. Padmanabhan, served as bridges between the early modern short story writers in Malayalam, of the so-called renaissance, and the new short story of the late fifties and sixties.[11]
MT's debut novelPathiravum Pakalvelichavum (Midnight and Daylight) was serialised inMathrubhumi Weekly in 1957.[4] His first major workNaalukettu (The Legacy; 1958) is a veritable depiction of the situation which prevailed in a typical joint family when its fortunes is on a steady decline. The title attributes toNālukettu, a traditional ancestral home (Taravad) of aNair joint family. The novel remains a classic in Malayalam fiction. It contributed to the renewal of a literary tradition initiated byS. K. Pottekkatt,Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai,Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer andUroob in the 1950s.[12] It was given theKerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1959. It has had 23 reprints and was translated into 14 languages and had a record sale of a half a million copies (as of 2008) and still features in the best-seller lists.[13][14] MT himself adapted the novel into atelevision film forDoordarshan in 1995. It won the Kerala State Television Award for the year 1996.[15]
Asuravithu (The Demon Seed; 1972) which is set in a fictional Valluvanadan village named Kizhakkemuri can be considered almost as a sequel toNaalukettu. It has the same geophysical and socio-cultural setting. The novel describes the plight of the protagonist Govindankutty, the youngest son of a proud Nair tharavadu, as he is trapped between the social scenario, social injustice and his own inner consciousness. InAsuravithu there are clear indications of the damaging impact of an alien culture in the pollution of the indigenous culture and the disintegration of the family and the community. These two early novels—Naalukettu andAsuravithu—depict a phase in which the economic and cultural scenario of Kerala manifested symptoms which were to develop into dangerous ecocidal tendencies at a later stage.[16]
His later novels, such asManju (Mist; 1964) andKaalam (Time; 1969), are characterised by profuse lyricism which cannot be found inNaalukettu orAsuravithu. The eco-feminist theme of patriarchal domination and exploitation gained more prominence inManju, MT's only novel with a female protagonist (Vimala). Set in the splendid landscape ofNainital, it stands apart as set in a milieu different from the usual one, the Valluvanadan village. The plot of the novel is allegedly similar to aHindi storyParinde (Birds, 1956), byNirmal Verma. However, both MT and Verma had rejected these claims.[17]
In the novelKaalam, MT returned to his favourite milieu, the dilapidated joint-family Nair tarwad set against the wider backdrop of the Valluvanadan village in the backdrop of the crumbling matrilineal order of Kerala in a newly independent India. Sethu, the protagonist, is toppled over by the eddies of social, cultural and economic transformation.Kaalam, though not strictly autobiographical, has a strong autobiographical element in it.Manju had a film adaptation in 1983, written and directed by MT himself.[18] The novel also had aHindi-language film adaptation titledSharad Sandhya.[19]
Randamoozham (The Second Turn; 1984), retells the story of theMahabharatha from the point of view ofBhimasena, supposed to be the son ofVayu; this is demystified or demythified in the novel. In this novel, Bhima gains, through the author's ironic undertones, a new psychological depth. "I have not changed the framework of the story by the first Vyasa, Krishna-Dwaipayana. I have read between his lines and expanded on his pregnant silences," says the author.[20]
MT's novelVaranasi (2002) is based around a journey toVaranasi, a pilgrim centre in North India.[21] With no intricate plot, the novel is an experiment. It was well received in the literary circles but received criticism from critic and painterM. V. Devan.[22]
MT wrote the novelArabi Ponnu (The Gold of Arabia) along withN. P. Mohammed. Nair and Mohamed stayed in a rented house in Karuvarakkundu village,Malappuram for a period of two weeks to complete this work.[23]
MT authored two books on the craft of writing—Kaathikante Panippura andKaathikante Kala—and his anecdotal columns articles on various topics and speeches on different occasions have been compiled under the titlesKilivaathililude, Kannanthalippookkalude Kaalam, Vakkukalude Vismayam andEekakikalude Sabdam.Manushyar Nizhalukal andAalkkoottathil Thaniye are his travelogues.[24]
MT occupied many important positions in various literary bodies, including the presidency ofKerala Sahitya Akademi and the chairmanship of Tunchan Memorial Trust.[25]
MT joined theMathrubhumi Group of Publications in 1956.[26][27] He served as editor of periodicals and chief editor ofMathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly.[28]
He espoused and promotedsecularism[29] through his literature, cinema, and public life.[30] Nair created secular intellectual movement in Kerala in the 1990s for peace with many intellectuals.[31]
MT is one of the most distinguished and well accepted script writers and directors inMalayalam cinema.[32] He has directed seven films and written the screenplay for around 54 films. He won theNational Film Award for Best Screenplay four times for:Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989),Kadavu (1991),Sadayam (1992), andParinayam (1994), which is the most by anyone in the screenplay category.[33]
MT wrote his first screenplay in 1965 forMurappennu, at the behest of producer Shobhana Parameswaran Nair. The film was an adaptation of his story "Snehathinte Mukhangal".The Hindu described it as "a well-made film with a compelling plot" and as "one of the most significant films in the history of Malayalam cinema".[34]
MT was the first and foremost script writer in Malayalam who wrote screenplays after having learnt cinema as a distinctive visual art which has its own language, grammar and structure.[32] It was only after he began writing screenplays the Malayali viewers began to considerfilm script as a distinctive genre which has its own genuine features. Also, it was M.T who elevated this medium of writing as a literary form.[32]
MT's screenplays have won social attention for the portrayal of the social and cultural crisis in the contemporary life of Kerala. Thedisintegration of human values and relationship which creates identity crisis, sense of loss, dehumanisation, alienation from one's own surroundings, etc. have been presented in its depth by Nair more than any other writers. The best examples areKanyakumari,Varikkuzhi,Vilkkanundu Swapnangal, Sadayam, Asuravithu,Edavazhiyile Poocha Mindappoocha,Akshrangal,Aalkkoottathil Thaniye,Aaroodam etc.[32] A salient aspect of Nair's screenplays is the effective presentation of the ecological or geographical factors and elements making use of the visual possibilities of their portrayal.[32] Another unique feature is the language employed in them. Some of his screenplays are known for giving new interpretations to historical characters and historical stories. For instance, he gives the legends woven around the popular story ofPerumthachan a new interpretation inhis screenplay, based on his own assessment of Perumthachan's character.[35] According to the folkloreVadakkanpattu (Northern Ballads), Chandu is said to have betrayed his cousin because he was jealous of Aaromal's popularity and abilities. But Nair'sOru Vadakkan Veeragatha,[33] set in 16th-century Kerala,[5] presents an alternative version of the same legend, as it presents the incident from Chandu's perspective, suggesting that grave injustice has been done to Chandu by wrongly accusing him of replacing the rivets.[32]
In 1973, MT made his directorial debut withNirmalyam which won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film.[36] The film is about a village oracle whose services are no longer needed by the community and whose family begins to fall apart.[37] Nair scripted and directed many more films including the award-winningBandhanam,Kadavu andOru Cheru Punchiri.Kadavu won awards at theSingapore International Film Festival andTokyo International Film Festival.[33] His cinema work also includes three documentaries and one TV series. He has written songs for the 1981 filmValarthumrugangal which were set to tune byM. B. Sreenivasan.[38]
MT was the chairman of Indian Panorama of the46th National Film Awards (1998).[39] He has also been a member ofFilm Finance Corporation,National Film Development Corporation and Film Censoring Committee. He has also served as a faculty in theFilm and Television Institute, Pune.[40]
MT was born and brought up in a sylvan village on the banks of Nila. The writer has so often acknowledged his indebtedness to the ethos of his village and to Nila which has ever been the mainspring of his creative inspiration. Nila occurs and re-occurs in Nair's fiction, as a presence and as a symbol, endorsing this view.[41][42] The staple locale of his fiction is the Valluvanadan village. The landscape and ethos of the Valluvanad region and the transformations undergone by them in the course of the century, involving relics of the tarawad and the communal tensions provide a challenging theme for the highly evocative style of Vasudevan MT's narrative art. The temporal milieu of MT's fiction stretches over the second half of the twentieth century, a period of tremendous social, cultural and economic changes.[11][43]
It was in the sixties that MT rose to prominence as a writer. The phase of social realism had come to an end.[11] In his opinion, class-war the ideal which had inspired the writers belonging to the preceding generation had almost lost its relevance by the time he entered the literary career. The prominent Malayalam writers of the pre-independence phase—Thakazhi,Vallathol andKesavadev—were all stimulated by the progressive leftist ideals. They focussed their attention on social conflict as the theme for their writings—Conflict between capital and labour, between the landlord and the tenant, between the oppressor and the oppressed. MT felt that this theme of conflict was an outdated phenomenon in the context of present Kerala. The protagonists of MT are men out of society and at war with themselves, a sharp contrast to the heroes of Kesavadev or Thakazhi who fight a losing war against the hostile forces in the society. MT, in spite of his broad and deep sympathy for the marginalised, doesn't identify himself with any particular political ideology or movement.[11]
MT married twice. He first married writer and translator Prameela in 1965. They separated after 11 years of marriage.[7] He had a daughter from this marriage, Sithara, who works as a business executive in the United States.[7]
In 1977 he married dance artistKalamandalam Saraswathi,[44] with whom he had a daughter, dancer Aswathy Nair.[45][46]
MT resided inSithara, Kottaram Road,Kozhikode, named after his eldest daughter.[47]
He died on 25 December 2024, at the age of 91. He had been admitted to Baby Memorial Hospital in Kozhikode on 15 December due to breathing difficulties. Despite medical intervention, his condition worsened, and he suffered acardiac arrest, leading to his death.[48][49][5][50][51]
Nair is regarded as one of the masters of post-Independence Indian literature.[33][25][52][53]
He was bestowed withhonorary D.Litt. degree by theCalicut University andMahatma Gandhi University.[49]
As of 2016 theLibrary of Congress inWashington, D.C., United States, had a collection of 62 books authored by Nair (including some English translations) or about him.[25]
Nair won the followingNational Film Awards:
He won the followingKerala State Film Awards:
He also wonKerala Film Critics Association Awards:[106]
Other film awards won by Nair include:
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) (Collection of 5 stories){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) (Collection of 6 stories){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) (Collection of 6 stories){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)[116]{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) (Collection of 5 stories){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) (Collection of 5 stories){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Most of Nair's screenplays are published as books. Some of the published works include:
| Year | Film | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Manorathangal | Anthology series based on his 9 short stories[138][5] | |
| 2013 | Kadhaveedu | Portmanteau film based on four stories written by himself,Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer andMadhavikutty[138] | |
| 2013 | Ezhamathe Varavu | Adaptation/Remake of his earlier unreleased filmEvideyo Oru Shathru[138] | |
| 2009 | Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja | [138] | |
| 2009 | Neelathamara (Blue Lotus) | Remake of the1979 film of the same name with revised screenplay[138] | |
| 2001 | Theerthadanam (Pilgrimage) | Based on the story "Vanaprastham"[138] | |
| 2000 | Oru Cheru Punchiri (A Slender Smile) | Yes | Based on the story "Mithunam" by Telugu writer Sriramana[138] |
| 1998 | Daya (Compassion) | Based on a story fromOne Thousand and One Nights[138] | |
| 1998 | Ennu Swantham Janakikutty | Based on the story "Cheriya Cheriya Bhookampangal"[138] | |
| 1998 | Thakazhi | Yes | Documentary on renowned Malayalam writerThakazhi Sivasankara Pillai[139] |
| 1995 | Naalukettu | Tele-Serial based on thenovel of the same name[138] | |
| 1994 | Sukrutham | [138] | |
| 1994 | Parinayam (Wedding) | [138] | |
| 1992 | Sadayam (With Compassion) | [138] | |
| 1991 | Kadavu ( The Ferry) | Yes | Based on the story "Kadathuthoni" byS. K. Pottekkatt[138] |
| 1991 | Venal Kinavukal (Summer Dreams) | [138] | |
| 1990 | Midhya | [138] | |
| 1990 | Perumthachan | [138] | |
| 1990 | Thazhvaram (The Valley) | [138] | |
| 1989 | Utharam (Answer) | Based on the story "No Motive" byDaphne du Maurier[138] | |
| 1989 | Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (A Northern Story of Valor) | [138] | |
| 1988 | Aranyakam | [138] | |
| 1988 | Vaishali | [138] | |
| 1988 | Athirthikal | Based on MT's short story Dar-Es-Salaam | |
| 1987 | Amrutham Gamaya | [138] | |
| 1986 | Kochu Themmadi (The Little Rascal) | [138] | |
| 1986 | Abhayam Thedi (In Search of a Shelter) | [138] | |
| 1986 | Rithubhedam | [138] | |
| 1986 | Nakhakshathangal | [138] | |
| 1986 | Panchagni (Five Fires) | [138] | |
| 1985 | Rangam | [138] | |
| 1985 | Idanilangal | [138] | |
| 1985 | Anubandham | [138] | |
| 1984 | Aalkkoottathil Thaniye (Alone in a Crowd) | [138] | |
| 1984 | Adiyozhukkukal | [138] | |
| 1984 | Aksharangal (Alphabets) | [138] | |
| 1984 | Uyarangalil (At the Top) | [138] | |
| 1984 | Vellam (Water) | [138] | |
| 1983 | Aaroodam | [138] | |
| 1983 | Manju (Mist) | Yes | Based on thenovel of the same name[138] |
| 1982 | Varikuzhi (The Trap) | Yes | Based on the story of the same name[138] |
| 1981 | Trishna (Thirst) | [138] | |
| 1981 | Valarthu Mrugangal | [138] | |
| 1980 | Vilkkanundu Swapnangal | [138] | |
| 1980 | Oppol (The Elder Sister) | [138] | |
| 1979 | Edavazhiyile Poocha Minda Poocha | [138] | |
| 1979 | Neelathamara (Blue Lotus) | [138] | |
| 1978 | Bandhanam (Bond) | Yes | Based on the story of the same name[138] |
| 1978 | Ekakini | Based on the story "Karutha Chandran"; Screenplay by P. Raman Nair[140] | |
| 1977 | Mohiniyattam | Yes | Documentary film about the Indian art formMohiniyattam[138] |
| 1974 | Kanyakumari | [138] | |
| 1974 | Paathiravum Pakalvelichavum | [138] | |
| 1973 | Nirmalayam (The Offering) | Yes | Based on the story "Pallivalum Kalchilambum" Also produced the film under the banner of Novel Films[138] |
| 1971 | Kuttiyedathi | [138] | |
| 1971 | Mappusakshi | [138] | |
| 1971 | Vithukal (Seeds) | [138] | |
| 1970 | Nizhalattam (Shadow Play) | [138] | |
| 1969 | Olavum Theeravum | Based on the story of the same name[138] | |
| 1968 | Asuravithu | Based on thenovel of the same name[138] | |
| 1967 | Nagarame Nandi | Partially based on the filmsThe Conquerors of the Golden City (1965) andBirds of Exile (1964)[141] | |
| 1966 | Iruttinte Athmavu | Based on the story of the same name[138] | |
| 1966 | Pakalkkinavu | [138] | |
| 1965 | Murappennu | [138] | |
| — | Evideyo Oru Shathru | An incomplete feature film starringSukumaran andVenu Nagavalli. The screenplay was published inChilla magazine and later released as a book byMathrubhumi Books. This book has some stills from the movie.[138] |
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