The renaissance that started a century ago had almost dismantled the feudal remnants in Kerala when M.T. Vasudevan Nair published his first novel, Nalukett, in 1958. All of 24 then, MT, as he is known, depicted the crumbling joint family system that thrived in complex architecture in the novel, and ended it with the protagonist telling his mother, a victim of the very same system, that they should demolish the old structure and build a small one that will have “light and wind”.
MT went on to become one of the most celebrated, awarded and translated Malayalam writer, editor, filmmaker and script-writer and impacted the lives of at least four generations of Malayalees through his creative contributions. As a writer and as the editor of the most popular Malayalam literary weekly Mathrubhumi, he shaped and nurtured their sensibilities and sensitivities. That he still is one of the most read by the young generation points to his ability to connect with human lives, irrespective of the times they live in. The Jnanpith and Padma Bhushan awards, among the countless many awards he received, are just a pointer to the Colossus-like presence he has had in the Indian literary scene.
MT’s contribution to the then nascent Malayalam film industry must not go unnoticed. He directed six movies, all of which got critical and mass acclaim; his directorial debut Nirmalyam won the national award for best feature film in 1974 and its lead actor P.J. Antony bagged the state award. He scripted the story and screenplays for more than 60 films, several of them got him state and national awards. The characters he penned also got several leading actors, including Mammootty and Mohanlal, awards at the national and state levels.
MT, as he started, remained a staunch supporter and promoter of the liberal and progressive values in society and abhorred the traction communal forces have gained in the nation’s polity as time went by. Though a man of few words, MT missed no occasion to warn against the new-found change. He did not mince his words while talking to people in power even if they belonged to the same ideological spectrum as his, as he remained irreverent to power till he breathed his last. In his passing, the country has lost a proponent of the values the Constitution upholds at a time when they are increasingly being undermined.
