M.T. Vasudevan Nair

M.T. Vasudevan Nair, known simply as “M.T.”, was a giant of Malayalam letters: novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, film director and editor. He was named for the Padma Vibhushan in 2025, posthumously, in the field of literature and education, from Kerala ^[1]. He had received the Padma Bhushan in 2005 ^[2].

Early promise

M.T. was born on 15 July 1933 in Kudallur, in Palakkad district ^[2]. In 1954, while a student, he won first prize for Malayalam in a world short-story competition organised by the New York Herald Tribune ^[2]. He joined Mathrubhumi as a sub-editor in 1957 ^[2].

Novelist and editor

His first novel, Naalukettu (1958), won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award ^[2]. In all he wrote 8 novels and more than 200 short stories ^[2]. As editor of the Mathrubhumi weekly from 1968, he discovered and encouraged a generation of new Malayalam writers and brought translations of world literature to Malayali readers ^[2].

He won the Jnanpith Award in 1995 ^[2].

Cinema

M.T. wrote 55 screenplays and directed seven films ^[2]. His first film as director, Nirmalyam (1973), won the President’s gold medal for best feature film ^[2]. He won the National Film Award for best screenplay four times, a record ^[2]. He was also the first to publish screenplays as literature ^[2].

For three decades he led the Thunchan Memorial, dedicated to Thunchath Ezhuthachan, the father of modern Malayalam ^[2].

M.T. Vasudevan Nair died on 25 December 2024 ^[2].