M. T. Vasudevan Nair

Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair
Born	(1933-07-15) July 15, 1933 Kudallur, Palghat, India
Pen name	MT
Occupation	Novelist, short story writer, screenplay writer, film director
Nationality	Indian
Genres	Novel, Short story, Children's literature
Subjects	Social aspects, Oriented on the basic Malayalam family and cultures
Literary movement	Realism
Notable work(s)	Novels: Naalukettu, Randamoozham, Manju, Kaalam, Asuravithu
Notable award(s)	Padma Bhushan, Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi Award
Spouse(s)	Kalamandalam Saraswathi (Second wife)
Influences Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, Guy de Maupassant, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer
Influenced M. Mukundan
www.mtvasudevannair.com

Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (Malayalam: മഠത്തില്‍ തെക്കെപാട്ട് വാസുദേവന്‍ നായര്‍) (born 15 July 1933), popularly known as MT, is an Indian author,screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District (Palghat), which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj. He is one of the most prolific and versatile writers in modern Malayalam literature. In 2005, India's third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan was awarded to him. He was awarded the highest literary award in India, Jnanpith, for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature. His novel Randamoozham (Second Turn) is widely credited as his masterpiece.

Life and career

Vasudevan was born in 1933 in Kudallur in the present day Palakkad district. He spent his early days in a village calledPunnayurkulam in the present day Thrissur District. He occupied and continues to occupy many important and powerful positions in various literary bodies including the presidentship of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and the chairmanship of Tunchan Memorial Trust. The Library of Congress has in its collection sixty-two books, mostly by M.T and some on him. Also, some of them are translations of his works into English. He acted as the Chief Editor of the weekly Mathrubhumi and as the editor of the Mathrubhumi periodicals. He has also served as a faculty in the Film and Television Institute, Pune. On the 2 June 1996, he was bestowed with honorary D.Lit degree by the Calicut University. He has been married twice. His second wife is the dance artist Kalamandalam Saraswathi with whom he has a daughter.

Literary works

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. His three seminal novels on life in the matriarchal family in Kerala are Nalukettu, Asuravithu, and Kaalam. Randamoozham (The Second Turn), an epic novel that is widely regarded by critics as his masterpiece, retells the story of the Mahabharatha from the point of view of Bhima. He also wrote many short-stories, some of which he adapted into films by.

Filmography

He has directed 7 films and written the screen play 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.

Awards and honours

Jnanpith Award

• 1995: For his contributions to Malayalam literature

Honorary Awards

• 1996: Honorary Doctorate by University of Calicut
• 2005: Padma Bhushan

Kendra Sahitya Academy Awards

• 1970: Novel – Kaalam

Kerala Sahithya Academy Awards

• 1958: Novel – Naalukettu
• 1982: Drama – Gopura Nadayil
• 1986: Short Story – Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam

National Film Awards

• 1974: Best Film – Nirmalyam
• 1990: Best Screenplay – Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
• 1992: Best Screenplay – Kadavu
• 1993: Best Screenplay – Sadayam
• 1995: Best Screenplay – Parinayam
• 2001: Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation – Oru Cheru Punchiri

Kerala State Film Awards

• 1970: Best Screenplay – Olavum Theeravum
• 1973: Best Film – Nirmalayam
• 1973: Best Director – Nirmalayam
• 1973: Best Screenplay – Nirmalayam
• 1978: Best Film – Bandhanam
• 1980: Best Story – Oppol
• 1981: Best Screenplay – Thrishna, Valarthu Mrigangal
• 1983: Best Story – Aaroodam
• 1985: Best Story – Anubandham
• 1986: Best Screenplay – Panchagni, Nakhakshathangal
• 1987: Best Screenplay – Amrutham Gamaya
• 1989: Best Screenplay – Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha
• 1990: Best Screenplay – Perumthachan
• 1991: Best Film – Kadavu
• 1991: Best Director – Kadavu
• 1991: Best Screenplay – Kadavu
• 1994: Best Story – Sukrutham
• 1994: Best Screenplay – Parinayam
• 1998: Best Screenplay – Daya
• 2000: Best Director – Oru Cheru Punchiri
• 2010: Best Screenplay – Pazhassi Raja

Other awards and accolades

• 1985: Vayalar Award for Randamoozham (Second Turn)
• 1993: Odakuzhal Award for Vanaprastham
• 1994: Muttathu Varkey Award
• 2001: Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam Sahithya Award
• 2003: Asianet Film Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2011: Ezhuthachan Puraskaram
• 2011: 4th T. K. Puraskaram
• 2011: 1st Suvarnamudra Award
• 2011: Mayilpeeli Award

Major works

Literary works

Novels

• Manju (English translation: Mist)
• Kaalam (Time)
• Nalukettu (Ancestral house; English translation: The Legacy)
• Asuravithu (English translation: The Demon Seed)
• Vilapayathra (The funeral procession)
• Pathiravum Pakalvelichavum (Midnight and daylight)
• Arabipponnu (The Arabian Gold, written with N. P. Mohammed)
• Randamoozham (English translation: The Second Turn)
• Varanasi (Benares)

Stories

• Iruttinte Atmavu (The Soul of the Darkness)
• Olavum Theeravum (Ripple and Shore)
• Kuttyedathi
• Varikkuzhi (The Trap)
• Pathanam (The Fall)
• Bandhanam (The Binding)
• Swargavam Thurakkunna Samayam (When the Heaven's gates open)
• Ninte (Yours)
• Ninte Ormaykku (For your memory)
• Vanaprastham (Into the Forest)
• Dar-es-salam
• Raktham Puranda Mantharikal (Blood-soaked sand)
• Veyilum Nilavum (Sunlight and Moonlight)
• Kaliveedu (Playhouse)
• Vedanayude Pookkal (Flowers of sorrow)
• Sherlock
• Neelathamara (Blue lotus)

Play

• Gopuranadayil

Essays

• Kathikante Kala
• Kathikante Panippura
• Hemingway: Oru Mukhavura
• Kannanthalippookkalude Kaalam

Travelogue

• Aalkkoottathil Thaniye

Memoirs

• Snehadarangalode Ammaykku
• Chithratheruvukal

Films

Screenplays

Along with Ramachandra Babu, who served as cinematographer in many of his films.

• Olavum Theeravum
• Murappennu
• Nagarame Nandi
• Asuravithu
• Pakalkkinavu
• Iruttinte Athmavu
• Kuttiyedathi
• Neelathamara
• Oppol
• Vilkkanundu Swapnangal
• Varikuzhi
• Bandhanam
• Valarthumrigangal
• Idavazhiyile Poocha Mindapoocha
• Evideyo Oru Shatru
• Vellam
• Panchagni
• Nakhakshathangal
• Amrutham Gamaya
• Abhayam Thedi
• Aaroodam
• Aksharangal
• Rangam
• Idanilangal
• Aalkkoottathil Thaniye
• Adiyozhukkukal
• Uyarangalil
• Rithubhedam
• Vaishali
• Thazhvaram
• Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
• Venalkinavukal
• Aranyakam
• Anubandham
• Midhya
• Thrishna
• Kadavu
• Utharam
• Sadayam
• Perunthachan
• Sukrutham
• Parinayam
• Nalukettu (Tele-Serial)
• Oru Cheru Punchiri
• Daya (based on a story of the One Thousand and One Nights)
• Ennu Swantham Janakikutty (based on the short story Cheriya Cheriya Bhookampangal)
• Theerthadanam (based on his story Vanaprastham)
• Pazhassi Raja
• Neelathamara (remake of Neelathamara which he had written years back)

Feature films (Director)

• Nirmalayam (Offerings, 1973)
• Bandhanam (Bounding Ties, 1978)
• Manju (Mist, 1982)
• Varikuzhy (The Trap, 1982)
• Kadavu (Ferry, 1991)
• Oru Cheru Punchiri (A slender smile, 2000)

Documentaries (Writer and Director)

• Mohini Attam (Documentary, 1977)
• Thakazhi (Documentary on Malayalam writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai)

External links

• Personal website
• Cinema of Malayalam – MT Vasudevan Nair
• OPPOL (short story, English translation) – MT Vasudevan Nair – excerpt
• Biography of MT Vasudevan Nair from International Literature Festival, Berlin
• Hindu Online – A tribute to Pazhassi Raja
• all the books by MT Vasudevan Nair in Malayalam
• Online Bookstore for MT Works
• IMDB profile page
• Official Website of Information and Public Relation Department of Kerala