M.T. Vasudevan Nair one of India’s greatest writers of all time, died in Kozhikode at a private hospital on Wednesday (December 25, 2024). He was 91.
He was also an exceptional scriptwriter who revolutionised the art of screenplay writing in Malayalam cinema and authored several landmark films. Some of those films were directed by M.T. himself. His debut film as a director, Nirmalyam, in fact, won the National Award for the best film in 1974. He wasn’t too keen on directing films, and was happier writing fiction.
When it comes to fiction, it is difficult to imagine a writer who was loved more by the Malayali reader. His novels like Randamoozham, Asuravithu, Manju, Kaalam and Nalukettu, continue to be printed, decades after they were first published. He also wrote several unforgettable short stories. The plots of those novels and short stories and the characters in them have become part of the Malayali’s cultural life.