Class IX Unit - IV Glimpses of a Green Planet - Memories of a Dying River (Article)

M. T. Vasudevan Nair

Popularly known as MT, Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair, was born on 15 July 1933, in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad district. He is well-known as author, screenplay writer and film director. He is one of the most prolific and versatile writers in modern Malayalam literature. His three seminal novels on life in the matriarchal family in Kerala are ‘Naalukettu’, ‘Asuravithu’ and ‘Kaalam’. 

He spent his early days in a village called Punnayurkulam in the present day Thrissur district. Nair completed his schooling from Kumaranelloor High School and obtained a degree in chemistry from Victoria College, Palakkad. 

In 2005, India's third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan was awarded to him. He was also awarded the highest literary award in India, 1995 Jnanpith, for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature. His novel Randamoozham (The Second Turn) is widely credited as his masterpiece.

His first short stories were published in several magazines while he was a youth. The first  "Valarthumrugangal", in 1953. It was a short story on the pathetic condition of the artists in circus.  The noted collections of his stories are ‘Iruttinte Athmavu’, ‘Olavum Theeravum’, ‘Bandhanam’, ‘Varikkuzhi’, ‘Dare-e-Salam’, ‘Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam’, ‘Vaanaprastham’ and ‘Sherlock’. "Iruttinte Athmavu" ("Creature 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. 

His most famous novels include ‘Naalukettu’, ‘Manju’, ‘Kaalam’, ‘Asuravithu’ and ‘Randamoozham’. His debut novel ‘Naalukettu’ is a veritable depiction of the situation which prevailed in a typical joint family when its fortunes is on a steady decline. 

‘Randamoozham’, widely regarded as the author's masterpiece, retells the story of the Mahabharatha from the point of view of Bhimasena. MT's only novel with a female protagonist (Vimala) is ‘Manj’. In the novel ‘Kaalam’, MT returns to his favourite milieu, the dilapidated joint-family Nair tharawad set against the wider backdrop of the Valluvanadan village in the backdrop of the crumbling matrilineal order of Kerala in a newly independent India. MT wrote ‘Arabipponnu’ along with N. P. Mohammed. MT's latest novel is Varanasi (2002) which is an emotional journey to Varanasi.

MT has authored two books on the craft of writing, ’Kaathikante Panippura’ and ‘Kaathikante Kala’. His articles on various topics and speeches on different occasions have been compiled under the titles ‘Kilivaathililude’, ‘Kannanthalippookkalude Kaalam’, ‘Vakkukalude Vismayam’ and ‘Eekakikalude Sabdam’. ‘Manushyar Nizhalukal’ and ‘Aalkkoottathil Thaniye’ are his travelogues.

He served as an Executive Member of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi. He was the editor of Mathrubhumi periodicals and Chief Editor of Mathrubhumi weekly. On 2 June 1996, he was bestowed with honorary D.Lit degree by the Calicut University.

MT joined the Mathrubhumi Group of Publications in 1956. When he retired from there in 1998, he was their editor of periodicals and Chief Editor of Mathrubhumi weekly. On 2 June 1996, he was bestowed with honorary D.Lit degree by the Calicut University. It was M.T who elevated the screenplay writing as a literary form.

He has directed seven films and written the screenplay for around 54 films. He won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay four times for: Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989), Kadavu (1991), Sadayam (1992), and Parinayam (1994), which is the most by anyone in the screenplay category. MT's screenplays have won social attention for the portrayal of the social and cultural crisis in the contemporary life of Kerala. Some of them are Kanyakumari, Varikkuzhi, Vilkkanundu Swapnangal, Edavazhiyile Poocha Mindappoocha, Akshrangal, Aalkkoottathil Thaniye, Aaroodam etc. 

In 1973, M. T. Vasudevan Nair made his directorial debut with ‘Nirmalyam’ which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.