MT Vasudevan Nair obit: The great chronicler of the Malayali's soul
Malayalam literature has lost not just a writer but a witness who documented Kerala's journey through the 20th century with unmatched insight and artistry
MT Vasudevan Nair, affectionately known as 'MT' to millions of Malayalam readers and cinema lovers, who masterfully chronicled Kerala's transformation from a feudal society to a modern one through his piercing narratives, passed away in Kozhikode on Christmas Day.
He was 91.
As one of the last great patriarchs of Malayalam literature, MT's passing marks the end of an era that witnessed Kerala's dramatic social evolution.
Born into a Nair family in Kudallur in 1933, a village in Palakkad district, MT experienced first-hand the decline of the feudal order and the emergence of a new social reality. This transformation became the bedrock of his literary works, which seamlessly merged the personal with the political, the mythological with the contemporary.
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Creative journey
MT's creative journey began in the 1950s when he started writing short stories that captured the dying gasps of the matrilineal system and the displacement of traditional hierarchies. His masterpiece 'Nalukettu' (1958), which won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, portrayed the disintegration of a Nair joint family through the eyes of a young boy, establishing MT as a writer who could turn personal memory into universal experience.
His remarkable ability to reinterpret classical texts for modern sensibilities found its finest expression in 'Randamoozham' (Second Turn), his masterful retelling of the 'Mahabharata' from Bhima's perspective. The novel, which won the Vayalar Award and Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, demonstrated MT's genius for finding contemporary resonance in ancient narratives while maintaining their mythological grandeur.
The authenticity of MT's narratives stemmed from his deep rootedness in the ‘Valluvanadan’ dialect (The region covering certain areas of Palakkad, Malappuram, and Thrissur districts) and the cultural milieu of north Kerala. His characters spoke in the cadences of lived experience rather than literary artifice.
His craft as a dialogue writer deserves special mention. MT's screenplays, particularly for films like 'Theerthadanam' and 'Kadavu', elevated Malayalam cinema dialogue to new heights of naturalism while retaining their poetic power. His characters spoke in ways that revealed their social location, educational background, and emotional state - a craft that influenced generations of screenwriters.
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Evocative dialogues
MT's contribution to cinema represents a unique achievement in Indian arts. As a screenwriter par excellence, he crafted dialogues that captured the unsaid as powerfully as the spoken word. His collaborations with directors like Hariharan produced classics like 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha' (1989), which reinterpreted the martial ballads of north Kerala through a revisionist lens, questioning established narratives of heroism and betrayal.
When characters like Perumthachan and Vaishali delivered their lines, history and the political perspectives surrounding it were being reshaped. One had goosebumps when Mammootty delivered the dialogues of Chandu in 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha', transforming the popular narrative of him as a classical backstabber.
Even Aringodar, portrayed as the villain of the ballads, had his story to tell through MT’s evocative dialogues.
This dedication to linguistic authenticity would eventually revolutionise dialogue writing in Malayalam cinema, liberating it from theatrical conventions and rooting it in everyday speech, enriched with multiple layers and profound inner meanings.
Capturing complexities of human behaviour
As a filmmaker, MT directed seven features, including 'Nirmalyam' (1973), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. The film's portrayal of a declining oracle performer became a metaphor for traditional artists marginalised by modernity, showcasing MT's ability to elevate regional specificity to universal significance.
The film 'Nirmalyam's climactic scene, where a desperate oracle spits on the idol of the goddess he has served lifelong, sent shockwaves through Kerala's cultural consciousness. This act of ultimate despair and defiance, unimaginable in today's politically charged climate of religious sensitivities, captured the death throes of a traditional way of life with devastating power.
The scene remains a benchmark for artistic courage in Indian cinema, demonstrating MT's ability to translate philosophical questions about faith, modernity, and survival into visceral cinema.
MT's work consistently engaged with the complexities of human relationships against the backdrop of social change. Whether in his short stories like 'Vanaprastham' or novels like 'Asuravithu', he explored how traditional value systems collapsed under the weight of modernity, creating a new moral universe that his characters struggled to navigate.
Nair and Marquez
In the early 1980s, during a journey to the United States that would later prove pivotal for Malayalam literature, MT Vasudevan Nair encountered Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ after a driver gave the book to him.
Through his travelogue, MT introduced Malayalam readers to the Colombian master's work. This cultural bridge-building exemplified MT's role not just as a writer, but as a literary ambassador who helped Malayalam literature engage in dialogue with global literary movements.
Despite his national and international acclaim, including the Jnanpith Award in 1995, MT remained deeply connected to his roots in Kudallur.
In his later years, MT became increasingly 15concerned with environmental issues and the emergence of belligerent right-wing politics. His interviews and speeches subtly but powerfully warned against the dangers of the violent right wing political shift happening in the country.
Yet, he remained optimistic about the resilience of Kerala's cultural core, often saying that tradition was not static but a river that constantly renewed itself.
MT's legacy
MT's legacy extends beyond his literary achievements. As the chairman of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and various cultural institutions, he mentored younger writers and artists, encouraging them to find their authentic voice while remaining true to their cultural roots.
In MT's passing, Malayalam literature has lost not just a writer but a witness who documented Kerala's journey through the twentieth century with unmatched insight and artistry. His works will continue to serve as a bridge between tradition and modernity, the past and the present, the local and the universal.
