Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (born 1933 July 15 ), popularly known as MT, is an Indian author,
screenplay writer
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
and film director.
He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern
Malayalam literature
Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six Classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a Sou ...
, and is one of the masters of post-Independence Indian literature.
[ At the age of 20, as a chemistry undergraduate, he won the prize for the best short story in Malayalam at World Short Story Competition conducted by ''The New York Herald Tribune''. His first major novel '' Naalukettu'' (''Ancestral Home''- translated to English as ''The Legacy''), written at the age of 23, won the ]Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1958, by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy), to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The awards are given in various categories. in 1958. His other novels include '' Manju'' (''Mist''), '' Kaalam'' (''Time''), '' Asuravithu'' (''The Prodigal Son'' - translated to English as ''The Demon Seed'') and ''Randamoozham
''Randamoozham'' ( en, The Second Turn) is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language mythological drama novel written by the Indian author M. T. Vasudevan Nair, widely credited as his masterpiece. The work won the Vayalar Award, given for the best lite ...
'' (''The Second Turn''). The deep emotional experiences of his early days have gone into the making of MT's novels. Most of his works are oriented towards the basic Malayalam family structure and culture and many of them were path-breaking in the history of Malayalam literature
Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six Classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a Sou ...
. His three seminal novels on life in the matriarchal family in Kerala are '' Naalukettu'', '' Asuravithu'', and '' Kaalam''. ''Randamoozham
''Randamoozham'' ( en, The Second Turn) is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language mythological drama novel written by the Indian author M. T. Vasudevan Nair, widely credited as his masterpiece. The work won the Vayalar Award, given for the best lite ...
'', which retells the story of the ''Mahabharatha
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Ku ...
'' from the point of view of Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
sena, is widely credited as his masterpiece.
M. T. Vasudevan Nair is a script writer and director of Malayalam films
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...
. He has directed seven films and written the screenplay for around 54 films. He won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay
The National Film Award for Best Screenplay is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one o ...
four times for: ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Balan K. Nair, Captain Raju and Madhavi. The film won ...
'' (1989), '' Kadavu'' (1991), ''Sadayam
''Sadayam'' () is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language psychological fiction, psychological Drama (film and television), drama written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by Sibi Malayil. It stars Mohanlal, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Murali (Malayal ...
'' (1992), and '' Parinayam'' (1994), which is the most by anyone in the screenplay category. He was awarded the highest literary award in India, Jnanpith
The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
, in 1995 for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature. In 2005, India's third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
was awarded to him. He has won numerous other awards and recognition including Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1958, by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy), to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The awards are given in various categories. , Vayalar Award
The Vayalar Award is given for the best literary work in Malayalam. The award was instituted in 1977 by the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust in memory of the poet and lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma (1928-1975). A sum of 25,000, a silver plate and ce ...
, Vallathol Award
Vallathol Award is a literary award given by the Vallathol Sahithya Samithi for contribution to Malayalam literature. The award was instituted in 1991 in memory of Vallathol Narayana Menon
Vallathol Narayana Menon (Malayalam: വള്ളത ...
, Ezhuthachan Award, Mathrubhumi Literary Award
Mathrubhumi Literary Award (also known as Mathrubhumi Sahitya Puraskaram) is a literary award instituted in 2001 by leading Malayalam daily ''Mathrubhumi''. A sum of 3 lakh, a plaque and citation constitute the award. The award is conferred as a ...
and O. N. V. Literary Award. He was awarded the J.C. Daniel Award for lifetime achievement in Malayalam cinema for the year 2013. He served as the editor of ''Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly
''Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu'' ( en, Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly) is an Indian general interest weekly magazine published by the Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Company in Calicut. The Malayalam language magazine started publishing on 18 ...
'' for several years. In 2022, he was honoured with the maiden Kerala Jyothi Award, the highest civilian award given by the Kerala Government.
Early life and family
Vasudevan was born in 1933 at Kudallur
Kudallur is in the Palakkad district of Kerala. It is in Pattambi taluk, bordering Malappuram district, also on the banks of Bharathapuzha. The Bharathappuzha river separates Kudallur from Kuttippuram town in Malappuram district. Kudallur is a ...
, a small village in Anakkara panchayat in Pattambi
Pattambi is a town taluk and municipality in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Pattambi Taluk. Pattambi is located along the banks of Bharathappuzha river. A Mini Civil Station ...
Taluk at northwestern tip of Palakkad district
Palakkad District () is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out from the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the centre of Kerala. It is the largest district i ...
, which shares boundary with Malappuram district
Malappuram (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . It is the most populous district of Kerala, which is home to around 13% of the to ...
on three sides. His native place fell under Malabar District
Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792-1800) and Madras Presidency (1800-1947) in British India, and independent India's Madras State (19 ...
in erstwhile Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...
of the British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. He was the youngest of four children born to T. Narayanan Nair and Ammalu Amma. His father was in Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
and he spent his early days in Kudallur and in his father's house in Punnayurkulam
Punnyurkulam is a village in Thrissur district of Kerala, the southwestern state of India.
Location
The village is located 10 km north west to the world-famous temple town Guruvayur along the Guruvayur- Ponnani state highway. History
P ...
, a village in the present day Thrissur district.[ He completed his schooling from Malamakkavu Elementary School and 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.] He obtained a degree in chemistry from Victoria College, Palakkad
The Government Victoria College in Palakkad, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the Malabar region of Kerala. It holds a rich educational heritage in the history of malabar region. It is affiliated to the Calicut University and ...
in 1953.[ He taught mathematics in ]Pattambi
Pattambi is a town taluk and municipality in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Pattambi Taluk. Pattambi is located along the banks of Bharathappuzha river. A Mini Civil Station ...
Board High School and Chavakkad
Chavakkad, formerly Chowghat, is a municipality in Thrissur district of Kerala state in India. It is a suburban town of Thrissur city. Chavakkad is noted for its beach and fishing. It lies on National Highway 66 is located about north of the ...
Board High School for over a year and worked in M.B. Tutorial College, Palakkad during 1955–56.[ He also worked as a gramasevakan at a block development office in ]Taliparamba
Taliparamba (also known as Perinchelloor and Lakshmipuram) is a Municipalities of Kerala, Municipality in Taliparamba taluk of Kannur district, Kerala, India. The municipal town spreads over an area of and is inhabited by 44,247 number ...
, Kannur
Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
for a few weeks before joining ''Mathrubhumi Weekly
''Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu'' ( en, Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly) is an Indian general interest weekly magazine published by the Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Company in Calicut. The Malayalam language magazine started publishing on 18 ...
'' as subeditor in 1957.[
MT has been married twice. He married writer and translator Prameela in 1965. They separated after 11 years of marriage.] He has a daughter from this marriage, Sithara, who works as a business executive in the United States.[ In 1977 he married dance artist Kalamandalam Saraswathy with whom he has a daughter, dancer Aswathy Nair. MT resides in ''Sithara'', Kottaram Road, ]Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
, named after his eldest daughter.
Literary career
Short stories
MT began writing at a very young age, inspired by his elder brothers who wrote time and again in several literary journals and poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri (18 March 1926 – 15 October 2020), popularly known as Akkitham, was an Indian poet and essayist who wrote in Malayalam. He was known for a simple and lucid style of writing, exploring themes of profound love and ...
who was his senior at high school.[ He initially wrote poems but soon changed to prose writing.][ His first published work was an essay on the diamond industry of ancient India, titled "Pracheenabharathathile Vaira Vyavasayam", which appeared in ''Keralakshemam'', a biweekly published by C. G. Nair from ]Guruvayoor
Guruvayur () is a municipal temple town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It is a suburban town of Thrissur city, located from Thrissur towards the north-west. It houses the Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple. It is located at ...
. His first story "Vishuvaghosham" was published in Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
-based ''Chitrakeralam'' magazine in 1948. The story which explores the feelings of a boy too poor to have crackers of his own, as he stands listening to the sounds of crackers coming from the houses of the rich celebrating the new year festival of Vishu: an overwhelming sense of loss, the painful realization that this is the way things are and the way they're likely to stay. His first book, ''Raktham Puranda Manaltharikal'' was published in 1952.[
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 by ''The New York Herald Tribune'', '']Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'' and ''Mathrubhumi
''Mathrubhumi'' is a Malayalam newspaper that is published from Kerala, India. It was founded by K. P. Kesava Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian independence movement, Indian freedom struggle against the British Raj, British. The word "M ...
'' in 1954.[ 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.
The noted collections of his stories are ''Iruttinte Athmavu, Olavum Theeravum, Bandhanam, Varikkuzhi, Dare-e-Salam, Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam, Vaanaprastham'' and ''Sherlock''.] "Iruttinte Athmavu
''Iruttinte Athmavu'' () is a 1967 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by P. Bhaskaran and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair based on his own short story of the same name. It stars Prem Nazir and Sharada in lead roles with Thikkurissy Sukum ...
" ("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. MT 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.
M. T. Vasudevan Nair is of the opinion that short story is a genre in which a writer can achieve near perfection. He, along with T. Padmanabhan, serve 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.[
]
''Naalukettu'' and ''Asuravithu''
MT's debut novel ''Pathiravum Pakalvelichavum'' (''Midnight and Daylight'') was serialised in ''Mathrubhumi Weekly
''Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu'' ( en, Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly) is an Indian general interest weekly magazine published by the Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Company in Calicut. The Malayalam language magazine started publishing on 18 ...
'' in 1957.[ His first major work ''Naalukettu'' (''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 to ]Nālukettu
Nālukettu is the traditional homestead of old Tharavadu where many generations of a matrilineal family lived. These types of buildings are typically found in the Indian state of Kerala. The traditional architecture is typically a rectangular ...
, a traditional ancestral home (''Taravad'') of a 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 ...
joint family. The novel remains a classic in Malayalam fiction. It contributed to the renewal of a literary tradition initiated by S. K. Pottekkatt
Sankarankutty Kunjiraman Pottekkatt (14 March 1913 – 6 August 1982) was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature and a politician from Kerala, India. He was also a great traveller among the Keralites, who wrote many travelogues for the peopl ...
, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai (17 April 1912 – 10 April 1999), popularly known as Thakazhi after his place of birth, was an Indian novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. He wrote over 30 novels and novellas and over 7 shor ...
, Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer and Uroob
Parutholli Chalappurathu Kuttikrishnan, popularly known by his pen name Uroob ( ml, ഉറൂബ്; 1915 – 1979) was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Along with Basheer, Thakazhi, Kesavadev, and Pottekkatt, Uroob was counted a ...
in the 1950s. It was given the Kerala Sahitya Akademi
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and Malayalam literature, literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India.
History
The academy ...
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. MT himself adapted the novel into a television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
for Doordarshan
Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...
in 1995. It won the Kerala State Television Award for the year 1996.["നാലുകെട്ടിന്റെ തിരക്കഥ വരുന്നു"]
. (in Malayalam). DC Books
DC Books is a publisher in Kerala publisher of books in Malayalam, and one of the publishers in India . It also operates one of the largest book store chains in India, with a network of over 45 bookshops under the DC Books and Current Books b ...
. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
''Asuravithu'' (''The Demon Seed''; 1972) which is set in a fictional Valluvanadan village named Kizhakkemuri can be considered almost as a sequel to ''Naalukettu''. 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. In ''Asuravithu'' 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'' and ''Asuravithu''—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.
''Manju'' and ''Kaalam''
His later novels, such as ''Manju'' (''Mist''; 1964) and ''Kaalam'' (''Time''; 1969), are characterised by profuse lyricism which cannot to be found in ''Naalukettu'' or ''Asuravithu''. The eco-feminist theme of patriarchal domination and exploitation gains more prominence in ''Manju'', MT's only novel with a female protagonist (Vimala). Set in the splendid landscape of Nainital
Nainital ( Kumaoni: ''Naintāl''; ) is a city and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters o ...
, 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 a Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
story ''Parinde'' (Birds, 1956), by Nirmal Verma
Nirmal Verma (3 April 192925 October 2005) was a Hindi writer, novelist, activist and translator. He is credited as being one of the pioneers of the ''Nai Kahani'' (New Story) literary movement of Hindi literature, wherein his first collection ...
. However, both MT and Verma have rejected these claims.
In the novel ''Kaalam'', MT returns 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. The novel also had a Hindi-language
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been des ...
film adaptation titled ''Sarath Sandhya''.
''Randamoozham''
''Randamoozham'' (''The Second Turn''; 1984), retells the story of the ''Mahabharatha
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Ku ...
'' from the point of view of Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
sena, supposed to be the son of Vayu
Vayu (, sa, वायु, ), also known as Vata and Pavana, is the Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine massenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king of ...
; 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.[
]
''Varanasi''
MT's latest novel is ''Varanasi'' (2002) which is an emotional journey to Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
, a pilgrim centre in North India. ''Varanasi'' opens with Professor Srinivasan's letter to Sudhakaran, the protagonist, referring to his unfinished thesis among his old books. The professor invites him to his home in Varanasi. Sudharkaran, in his sixties, and recovering from a prostrate procedure, decides to take the professor by surprise. He realises on arrival that the professor has recently died. The story evolves with a series of reminiscences, like a REM stream, in time transitions. The narration involves the third, first, and second person. In the train to Varanasi, Sudhakaran fishes out the book ''Kashi: The Eternal City'' by Sumita Nagpal, in which he is also acknowledged. By the time Sudhakaran finishes the book, he has traversed his life, his women, seen the demise of his well-wishers, moved through Varanasi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Paris, and Madras. He sees no need to complete his thesis — 'about the possibilities of Caliban' as once suggested by his professor for a scholarship at the university — and lets it go into the Ganga. He does the professor's last rites as also his own ''Atma Pindom'' (One's own funeral rites in anticipation of death). At the Dashashwamedh Ghat, Sumita, now an elderly woman, merely passes him by, not even recognising him. With no intricate plot, the novel is an experiment. It was well received in the literary circles but received criticism from critic and painter M. V. Devan
Madathil Vasudevan, popularly identified as M. V. Devan (15 January 1928 – 29 April 2014), was an Indian Painting, painter, sculptor, writer, art critic and orator. Besides his artistic works, he was also known for his architectural design ...
.
Other works
MT wrote the novel '' Arabi Ponnu'' (''The Gold of Arabia'') along with N. P. Mohammed. MT and Mohamed stayed in a rented house in Karuvarakkundu village, Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of including the surrounding suburban areas. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarter ...
for a period of two weeks to complete this work.
MT has authored two books on the craft of writing—''Kaathikante Panippura'' and ''Kaathikante Kala''—and his anecdotal columns 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 occupied and continues to occupy many important and powerful positions in various literary bodies including the presidency of Kerala Sahitya Akademi
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and Malayalam literature, literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India.
History
The academy ...
and the chairmanship of ''Tunchan Memorial Trust''. He was an Executive Member of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi. The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
has in its collection sixty-two books, mostly by MT and some on him. Also, some of them are translations of his works into English. 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 Illustrated Weekly
''Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu'' ( en, Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly) is an Indian general interest weekly magazine published by the Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Company in Calicut. The Malayalam language magazine started publishing on 18 ...
''. On 2 June 1996, he was bestowed with honorary D.Lit degree by the Calicut University
The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to be set up in nor ...
.
Film career
M. T. Vasudevan Nair is one of the most distinguished and well accepted script writers and directors in Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...
. He has directed seven films and written the screenplay for around 54 films. He won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay
The National Film Award for Best Screenplay is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one o ...
four times for: ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Balan K. Nair, Captain Raju and Madhavi. The film won ...
'' (1989), '' Kadavu'' (1991), ''Sadayam
''Sadayam'' () is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language psychological fiction, psychological Drama (film and television), drama written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by Sibi Malayil. It stars Mohanlal, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Murali (Malayal ...
'' (1992), and '' Parinayam'' (1994), which is the most by anyone in the screenplay category.[
MT wrote his first screenplay, in 1965 for '']Murappennu
''Murappennu'' is a 1965 Malayalam-language drama film directed by A. Vincent and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The film stars Prem Nazir in the lead role with an ensemble supporting cast including Sharada, Madhu, Jyothilakshmi, K. P. Um ...
'', 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".
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.[ It was only after he began writing screenplays the Malayali viewers began to consider ]film script
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fea ...
as a distinctive genre which has its own genuine features. Also, it was M.T who elevated this medium of writing as a literary from.[
MT's screenplays have won social attention for the portrayal of the social and cultural crisis in the contemporary life of Kerala. The
disintegration 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 MT more than any other writers. The best examples are '']Kanyakumari
Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...
'', ''Varikkuzhi'', ''Vilkkanundu Swapnangal
''Vilkkanundu Swapnangal'' () is a 1980 Malayalam-language drama film, directed by Azad, written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by V. B. K Menon. The film stars Sukumaran, Srividya, Sudheer, Bahadoor and Sreenivasan. The film also features ...
'', Sadayam, Asuravithu, ''Edavazhiyile Poocha Mindappoocha'', ''Akshrangal'', '' Aalkkoottathil Thaniye'', ''Aaroodam'' etc.[ A salient aspect of MT's screenplays is the effective presentation of the ecological or geographical factors and elements making use of the visual possibilities of their portrayal.][ 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 of ]Perumthachan
Perumthachan (പെരുന്തച്ചന്), also spelled as ''"Perunthchan"'' (പെരു - Peru/big, തച്ചന് - thachan/craftsman), meaning ''the master carpenter'' or ''the master craftsman
', is an honorific title ...
a new interpretation in his screenplay, based on his own assessment of Perumthachan's character. According to the folklore Vadakkanpattu (Northern Ballads), Chandu is said to have betrayed his cousin because he was jealous of Aaromal's popularity and abilities. But MT's ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Balan K. Nair, Captain Raju and Madhavi. The film won ...
'' 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.[
In 1973, M. T. Vasudevan Nair made his directorial debut with '']Nirmalyam
''Nirmalyam'' ( ml, നിര്മ്മാല്യം, ) is a 1973 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring P. J. Antony, Sumithra and Ravi Menon. P. J. Antony won the National Film Award ...
'' which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film
The National Award for Best Feature Film is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one of sev ...
. The film is about a village oracle whose services are no longer needed by the community and whose family begins to fall apart. MT scripted and directed many more films including the award-winning ''Bandhanam
''Bandhanam'' ( en, Bondage) is a 1978 Indian Malayalam film, directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by V. B. K. Menon. The film stars Shobha, Sukumaran, Sankaradi and Shubha in the lead roles. The film has musical score by M. B. Sreen ...
'', '' Kadavu'' and ''Oru Cheru Punchiri
''Oru Cheru Punchiri'' (English: ''A Slender Smile'') is a 2000 Malayalam film written and directed by M.T. Vasudevan Nair. This is his sixth film as a director. The film stars Oduvil Unnikrishnan and Nirmala Sreenivasan in the lead roles. The ...
''. ''Kadavu'' won awards at the Singapore International Film Festival
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the festival has a focus on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for ...
and Tokyo International Film Festival
The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...
.[M. G. Radhakrishnan (15 February 1996)]
"Winner all the way"
''India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new onl ...
''. Retrieved 30 May 2014. His cinema work also includes three documentaries and one TV series. He has written songs for the 1981 film ''Valarthumrugangal
''Valarthumrugangal'' () is a 1981 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by Hariharan. The film stars Ratheesh, Sukumaran, Madhavi and Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair. The film has musical score by MB Sreenivasan.
Cast
*Ratheesh as Chandran
* ...
'' which were set to tune by M. B. Sreenivasan
Manamadurai Balakrishnan Sreenivasan (19 September 1925 – 9 March 1988), or MBS, was a South Indian music director who worked mainly in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries.
He was born to an orthodox Tamil Brahmin family on 19 Septe ...
.
M. T. Vasudevan Nair was the chairman of Indian Panorama of the 46th National Film Awards (1998). He has also been a member of Film Finance Corporation
The Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC) was the government agency responsible for funding commercial productions of Australian film, documentary, and television from 1988 to 2008. Unlike other publicly funded organisations responsible for f ...
, National Film Development Corporation and Film Censoring Committee. He has also served as a faculty in the Film and Television Institute
FTI WA Inc., formerly the Film and Television Institute and also known as the Perth Institute of Film and Television, was a screen resource centre located in Western Australia aimed at increasing the vibrancy of the screen sector, including film ...
, Pune.
Literary style and themes
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 MT's
fiction, as a presence and as a symbol, endorsing this view. 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 Nair'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.
It was in the sixties that MT rose to prominence as a writer. The phase of social realism had come to an end.[ 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
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai (17 April 1912 – 10 April 1999), popularly known as Thakazhi after his place of birth, was an Indian novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. He wrote over 30 novels and novellas and over 7 shor ...
, Vallathol Vallathol is an Indian Malayalam name that may refer to
*Vallathol Narayana Menon (1878–1958), Malayalam poet
** Vallathol Award
** Vallathol Museum in Thrissur District, India
** Vallathol Nagar railway station in Thrissur District, India
*Valla ...
and Kesavadev
P. Kesava Pillai (20 July 1904 – 1 July 1983), better known by his pen-name P. Kesavadev, was a novelist and social reformer of Kerala, India. He is remembered for his speeches, autobiographies, novels, dramas, short stories, and films. ''Oday ...
—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 marginalized, doesn't identify himself with any particular political ideology or movement.[
]
Awards and honours
Honorary
* 1996: Honorary Doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
by University of Calicut
The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a State ownership, state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to ...
* 1996: Honorary Doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
by Mahatma Gandhi University
* 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
: Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
* 2008: Honorary Doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
by Netaji Subhas Open University
Netaji Subhas Open University (NSOU) is a state open university imparting distance education in eastern India
History
It was established in 1997 to commemorate the birth centenary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It has its headquarters at 1, Wo ...
* 2022: Kerala Jyothi instituted by Government of Kerala
Literary awards
* 1958: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel is an award given every year by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy) to Malayalam writers for writing a novel of literary merit. It is one of the twelve categories of the Kerala Sahitya ...
– '' Naalukettu''
* 1970: Kendra Sahitya Academy Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
– '' Kaalam''
* 1982: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama is an award given every year by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy) to Malayalam writers for writing a drama of literary merit. It is one of the twelve categories of the Kerala Sahitya A ...
– ''Gopura Nadayil''
* 1985: Vayalar Award
The Vayalar Award is given for the best literary work in Malayalam. The award was instituted in 1977 by the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust in memory of the poet and lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma (1928-1975). A sum of 25,000, a silver plate and ce ...
for ''Randamoozham
''Randamoozham'' ( en, The Second Turn) is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language mythological drama novel written by the Indian author M. T. Vasudevan Nair, widely credited as his masterpiece. The work won the Vayalar Award, given for the best lite ...
''
* 1986: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story is an award given every year by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy) to Malayalam writers for writing a story of literary merit. It is one of the twelve categories of the Kerala Sahitya A ...
– ''Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam''
* 1993: Odakkuzhal Award
''Odakkuzhal'' is a 1975 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by P. N. Menon and produced by M. P. Navakumar. The film stars Sheela, Jose Prakash, P. J. Antony and Alummoodan in the lead roles. The film has musical score by M. K. Arjunan ...
- ''Vanaprastham''
* 1994: Muttathu Varkey Award
Muttathu Varkey Award for contributions to the field of Malayalam literature is instituted by the Muttattu Varkey Foundation in memory of novelist Muttathu Varkey. The award was instituted in 1992 and as of 2012, it carries a purse of 50000, a c ...
* 1995: Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
for his contributions to Malayalam literature
* 1998: Padmarajan Award
Padmarajan Award (Padmarajan Puraskaram) is instituted by Padmarajan Memorial Trust in memory of author and filmmaker P. Padmarajan and is given for the best short story and best feature film produced in Malayalam language
Malayalam (; , ...
- ''Kaazhcha''
* 2001: Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam Sahithya Award
* 2003: Lalithambika Antharjanam Smaraka Sahitya Award
* 2005: Kerala Sahitya Akademi
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and Malayalam literature, literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India.
History
The academy ...
Fellowship
* 2005: Vallathol Award
Vallathol Award is a literary award given by the Vallathol Sahithya Samithi for contribution to Malayalam literature. The award was instituted in 1991 in memory of Vallathol Narayana Menon
Vallathol Narayana Menon (Malayalam: വള്ളത ...
* 2005: Mathrubhumi Literary Award
Mathrubhumi Literary Award (also known as Mathrubhumi Sahitya Puraskaram) is a literary award instituted in 2001 by leading Malayalam daily ''Mathrubhumi''. A sum of 3 lakh, a plaque and citation constitute the award. The award is conferred as a ...
* 2011: Ezhuthachan Award
* 2011: T. K. Puraskaram
* 2011: Suvarnamudra Award
* 2011: Mayilpeeli Award
* 2013: Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...
Fellowship
* 2013: Sree Chithira Thirunal Award
* 2013: K. P. S. Menon Award
* 2014: Suvarnamudra Award by Guruvayur Naadha Brahmolsavam
* 2014: A. R. Raja Raja Varma Award
* 2014: Kakkanadan Award
* 2014: Balamani Amma Award
* 2014: Tata-Landmark Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award
* 2015: O.M.C. Narayanan Namboodiripad Memorial Devi Prasadam Trust's Award for Literature
* 2015: Thakazhi Award
* 2018: O. N. V. Literary Award
Film awards
;National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...
* 1973: Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
– ''Nirmalyam
''Nirmalyam'' ( ml, നിര്മ്മാല്യം, ) is a 1973 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring P. J. Antony, Sumithra and Ravi Menon. P. J. Antony won the National Film Award ...
''
* 1989: Best Screenplay – ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Balan K. Nair, Captain Raju and Madhavi. The film won ...
''
* 1991: Best Screenplay – '' Kadavu''
* 1991: Best Feature Film in Malayalam – ''Kadavu''
* 1992: Best Screenplay – ''Sadayam
''Sadayam'' () is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language psychological fiction, psychological Drama (film and television), drama written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by Sibi Malayil. It stars Mohanlal, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Murali (Malayal ...
''
* 1994: Best Screenplay – '' Parinayam''
* 2000: Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation – ''Oru Cheru Punchiri
''Oru Cheru Punchiri'' (English: ''A Slender Smile'') is a 2000 Malayalam film written and directed by M.T. Vasudevan Nair. This is his sixth film as a director. The film stars Oduvil Unnikrishnan and Nirmala Sreenivasan in the lead roles. The ...
''
;Kerala State Film Awards
The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
* 1970: Best Screenplay – ''Olavum Theeravum
''Olavum Theeravum'' () is a 1970 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by P. N. Menon, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and produced by P. A. Backer. It stars Madhu and Ushanandini, with Jose Prakash, Philomina, and Nilambur Balan in ...
''["Kerala State Film Award Winners (1969-1980)"]
. Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
* 1973: Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
– ''Nirmalayam
''Nirmalyam'' ( ml, നിര്മ്മാല്യം, ) is a 1973 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring P. J. Antony, Sumithra and Ravi Menon. P. J. Antony won the National Film Award ...
''[
* 1973: ]Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
– ''Nirmalayam
''Nirmalyam'' ( ml, നിര്മ്മാല്യം, ) is a 1973 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring P. J. Antony, Sumithra and Ravi Menon. P. J. Antony won the National Film Award ...
''[
* 1973: Best Screenplay – '']Nirmalayam
''Nirmalyam'' ( ml, നിര്മ്മാല്യം, ) is a 1973 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring P. J. Antony, Sumithra and Ravi Menon. P. J. Antony won the National Film Award ...
''[
* 1978: ]Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
– ''Bandhanam
''Bandhanam'' ( en, Bondage) is a 1978 Indian Malayalam film, directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by V. B. K. Menon. The film stars Shobha, Sukumaran, Sankaradi and Shubha in the lead roles. The film has musical score by M. B. Sreen ...
''[
* 1980: Best Story – '']Oppol
''Oppol'' ( en, italic=yes, Elder Sister) is a 1981 Malayalam-language drama film, produced by Rosamma George under the banner of JMJ Arts, directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The film stars Balan K. Nair, Menaka ...
''[
* 1981: Best Screenplay – ''Thrishna'', ''Valarthu Mrigangal'']["Kerala State Film Award Winners (1981-1990)"]
. Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
* 1983: Best Story – ''Aaroodam''[
* 1985: Best Story – '' Anubandham''][
* 1986: Best Screenplay – '']Panchagni
''Panchagni'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language crime drama film directed by Hariharan and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The story is loosely inspired from the life of naxalite K. Ajitha who was part of the naxalite movement in Kerala ...
, Nakhakshathangal
''Nakhakshathangal'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and starring Monisha, Vineeth and Saleema. Monisha, won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role, making her th ...
''[
* 1987: Best Screenplay – '']Amrutham Gamaya
''Amrutham Gamaya'' , (translation: ''Path to immortality'') is a 1987 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by P. K. R. Pillai. It features Mohanlal in the lead role, along ...
''[
* 1989: Best Screenplay – '']Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha
''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Balan K. Nair, Captain Raju and Madhavi. The film w ...
''[
* 1990: Best Screenplay – '']Perumthachan
Perumthachan (പെരുന്തച്ചന്), also spelled as ''"Perunthchan"'' (പെരു - Peru/big, തച്ചന് - thachan/craftsman), meaning ''the master carpenter'' or ''the master craftsman
', is an honorific title ...
''[
* 1991: ]Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
– '' Kadavu''["Kerala State Film Award Winners (1991-1999)"]
. Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
* 1991: Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
– '' Kadavu''[
* 1991: Best Screenplay – '' Kadavu''][
* 1994: Best Story – '']Sukrutham
''Sukrutham'' () is a 1994 Malayalam-language film directed by Hari Kumar, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. It stars Mammootty, Shanthi Krishna, Gautami and Manoj K. Jayan. The film is based on the subject of complex human relationships, inev ...
''[
* 1994: Best Screenplay – '' Parinayam''][
* 1998: Best Screenplay – '' Daya''][
* 2000: ]Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
– ''Oru Cheru Punchiri
''Oru Cheru Punchiri'' (English: ''A Slender Smile'') is a 2000 Malayalam film written and directed by M.T. Vasudevan Nair. This is his sixth film as a director. The film stars Oduvil Unnikrishnan and Nirmala Sreenivasan in the lead roles. The ...
''
* 2009: Best Screenplay – ''Pazhassi Raja
Pazhassi Raja () (3 January 1753 – 30 November 1805) was known as Kerala Varma and was also known as Cotiote Rajah and Pychy Rajah. He was a warrior Hindu prince and de facto head of the kingdom of Kottayam, otherwise known as Cotiote, in ...
''
; Other film awards
*1991: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South
The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South ceremony.
Recipients
Notes
References General
*
Specific
External links
55th Filmfare Awards South Winners
{{DEF ...
* 1992: Singapore International Film Festival
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the festival has a focus on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for ...
- Special Jury Award – '' Kadavu''
* 1992: Tokyo International Film Festival
The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...
- Asia Future Prize – '' Kadavu''[
* 1996: Kerala State Television Award – ''Naalukettu''
* 2003: ]Asianet Film Awards
The Asianet Film Awards is an award ceremony for films presented annually by Asianet, a Malayalam-language television network from the south-Indian state of Kerala. Asianet says that awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artis ...
– Lifetime Achievement Award
Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions.
Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include:
A
* A.C. ...
* 2016: Asianet Film Awards
The Asianet Film Awards is an award ceremony for films presented annually by Asianet, a Malayalam-language television network from the south-Indian state of Kerala. Asianet says that awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artis ...
– Lifetime Achievement Award
Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions.
Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include:
A
* A.C. ...
* 2013: J. C. Daniel Award by the Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
List of works
Novels
*'' Naalukettu'' (1958, ''The Legacy'')
*''Pathiravum Pakalvelichavum'' (1958, ''Midnight and Daylight'')
*'' Arabi Ponnu'' (1960, ''The Gold of Arabia''; written with N. P. Mohammed)
*'' Asuravithu'' (1962, ''The Demon Seed'')
*'' Manju'' (1964, ''Mist'')
*'' Kaalam'' (1969, ''Time'')
*''Vilapayathra'' (1978, ''The Funeral Procession'')
*''Randamoozham
''Randamoozham'' ( en, The Second Turn) is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language mythological drama novel written by the Indian author M. T. Vasudevan Nair, widely credited as his masterpiece. The work won the Vayalar Award, given for the best lite ...
'' (1984, ''The Second Turn'')
*''Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
'' (2002)
Short story collections
* ''Raktham Puranda Mantharikal'' (1952, Blood-soaked Sand)
* ''Veyilum Nilavum'' (1954, Sunlight and Moonlight)
* ''Vedanayude Pookkal'' (1955, Flowers of Sorrow)
* ''Ninte Ormaykku'' (1956)
* ''Olavum Theeravum'' (1957, Ripple and Shore)
* ''Iruttinte Athmavu'' (1957, The Soul of the Darkness)
* ''Kuttyedathy'' (1959)
* ''Nashtappetta Dinangal'' (1960)
* ''Bandhanam'' (1963, The Binding)
* ''Kaliveedu'' (1966, Playhouse)
* ''Pathanam'' (1966, The Fall)
* ''Varikkuzhi'' (1967, The Trap)
* ''Dar-S-Salam'' (1972)
* ''Ajnjathante Uyaratha Smarakam'' (1973)
* ''Abhayam Thedi Veendum'' (1978)
* ''Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam'' (1980, When the Heaven's Gates Open)
* ''Vanaprastham'' (1992, Into the Forest)
* ''Sherlek'' (1997)
Children's literature
* ''Manikyakallu'' (1957)
* ''Daya Enna Penkutty'' (1987)
* ''Thanthrakkari'' (1999)
Essays
*''Kilivaathililude'' (1992)
*''Eekakikalude Sabdam'' (1994)
*''Ramaneeyam Oru Kaalam'' (1998)
Memoirs
*''Kannanthalippookkalude Kaalam''
*''Snehadarangalode'' (2003)
*''Ammaykku'' (2005)
*''Chithratheruvukal''
Plays
*''Gopuranadayil'' (1980)
*''Parinayam''
Speeches
*''Vakkukalude Vismayam'' (1999)
*''Jalakangalum Kavadangalum'' (2011)
Studies
*''Kaathikante Panippura'' (1963)
*''Hemingway: Oru Mukhavura'' (1968)
*''Kaathikante Kala'' (1984)
'Translations
* ''Jeevithathinte Granthathil Ezhuthiyath'' (1984)
* ''Pakarppavakasha Niyamam'' (1988)
* ''Lokakatha'' (written with N. P. Mohammed)
Travelogues
*''Aalkkoottathil Thaniye'' (1982)
*''Manushyar Nizhalukal'' (1996)
*''Vankadalile Thuzhavallakkar'' (1996)
; Filmography
See also
* List of Indian writers
This is a list of notable writers who come from India or have Indian nationality. Names are sorted according to surname.
A
B
C
D
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
...
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, M. T. Vasudevan
1933 births
Living people
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education
Recipients of the Jnanpith Award
Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Malayalam
Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Recipients of the Ezhuthachan Award
Kerala State Film Award winners
Kerala Jyothi Award Winners
Best Original Screenplay National Film Award winners
Producers who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award
Directors who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award
Directors who won the Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation National Film Award
J. C. Daniel Award winners
Malayali people
People from Malappuram district
Writers from Kozhikode
Indian male novelists
Indian male short story writers
Indian male dramatists and playwrights
Indian male screenwriters
Malayalam-language writers
Malayalam-language dramatists and playwrights
Malayalam novelists
Malayalam short story writers
Malayalam screenwriters
Malayalam film directors
Government Victoria College, Palakkad alumni
20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
20th-century Indian film directors
Screenwriters from Kerala
20th-century Indian short story writers
20th-century Indian novelists
21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
21st-century Indian novelists
Novelists from Kerala
20th-century Indian male writers
21st-century Indian male writers
Writers from Kerala