''Asuravithu'' ( en, The Demon Seed) is a

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

novel written by

M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (born 1933 July 15 ), popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and is one of the masters of post-I ...

. Set in Kizhakkemuri, a fictional picturesque village in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, the novel describes the plight of the protagonist Govindankutty, the youngest son of a proud

Nair The Nair , also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom histor ...

tharavadu, as he is trapped between the social scenario, social injustice and his own inner consciousness. As in many other M. T. novels, ''Asuravithu'' also has as its theme, the conflicts and problems of a Nair Family."Novel and Short Story to the Present Day"
The novel's English translation is titled ''The Demon Seed''. The novel was adapted into a film with the same title in 1968. The film, directed by

A. Vincent Aloysius Vincent (14 June 1928 – 25 February 2015) was an Indian cinematographer and director known for his works in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi language films. From the mid-1960s on, he directed some 30 movies including the landmark Mal ...

and scripted by M. T. Vasudevan Nair himself, featured noted actor

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 7 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the histo ...

as Govindankutty.

References

{{Malayalam Literature , state=collapsed 1962 novels Malayalam novels Novels set in Kerala Indian novels adapted into films Novels by M. T. Vasudevan Nair DC Books books 1962 Indian novels