MT Vasudevan Nair, an eminent and multifaceted literary and artistic luminary, celebrated for his profound contributions as a novelist, short story writer, scriptwriter, and filmmaker, has left an indelible mark across various creative domains. His literary works are timeless masterpieces, many of which have achieved the status of all-time classics. His literary works offered a nuanced portrayal of the history and culture of Kerala. The 91-year-old breathed his last on 25 December 2024.
MT Vasudevan Nair had several literary awards to his credit, including Padma Bhushan, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Odakkuzhal Award, Muttathu Varkey Award, Jnanpith Award, Padmarajan Award, Lalithambika Antharjanam Smaraka Sahitya Award, Vallathol Award, among many others. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for his contribution to Malayalam literature.
Among his numerous acclaimed works, the novel Bhima: Lone Warrior (Randhamoozham), a brilliant retelling of the Mahabharata through the perspective of Bhima, stands out as a crowning achievement and is often hailed as his magnum opus. It earned widespread acclaim and sold thousands of copies.
MT Vasudevan Nair has also played a pivotal role in the literary renaissance of Kerala through his editorial tenure at Mathrubhumi. During this period, he actively mentored and supported a new generation of writers, fostering their talent and contributing significantly to their rise in prominence, Ravi Deecee, CEO of DC Books and chief facilitator, Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), said.
“MT Vasudevan Nair’s association with DC Books and its sister concern, Current Books, was remarkably strong. It is a testament to this enduring partnership that over 25 of his works have been published by DC Books, spanning novels, short stories, articles, children’s literature, and screenplays. His contribution to Indian literature and cinema have not only earned him critical acclaim but also the love and admiration of readers and audiences across the globe,” Deecee said.
The Kerala Literature Festival, launched in 2016 at Kozhikode Beach under the aegis of the DC Kizhakemuri Foundation, has evolved into Asia’s largest and most prestigious literary gathering. Notably, MT Vasudevan Nair graced the opening ceremonies of both the inaugural and seventh editions of the festival, Deecee said. On 11 January 2024, he delivered the keynote address at the launch of the seventh edition of the literary gathering, where his thought-provoking speech, “Freedom is not the generosity of the ruler,” sparked intense debates. This speech was one of his last public addresses before he retreated from public life, leaving behind a legacy of great literary contributions, Deecee said.
“MT Vasudevan Nair was a writer who showed us how writers should interact with and in society. He was someone who always upheld the dignity of the writer. A life distinguished by the beauty of his writing and the accuracy of his stance in the public sphere. I once asked him if he was satisfied with his writing life. He replied, ‘I am satisfied, but if strangers asked, I still did not have the courage to say that I am a writer’,” N E Sudheer, literary critic and columnist shared.
As an editor, MT identified and raised many of the modernists in Malayalam in the early sixties. Even then, he didn’t pursue any such experiments in his writing, he recalled, adding that at the same time, he was not hesitant to recognize and promote new kinds of writing. He also took the initiative to bring literature from other Indian languages to Malayalam readers by publishing translations.
“MT was an avid reader who enjoyed literature from around the world. Therefore, MT was able to absorb the aesthetic changes happening in world literature. He was very keen to understand the movements and changes in society closely and intervene whenever he felt it necessary. His last writing, a speech delivered at the Kerala Literature Festival at Calicut in January 2024 was a speech against the totalitarian tendencies in India. He was a writer with an acute sense of politics. MT’s legacy is certainly something special,” Sudheer added.
Noted Malayalam writer M Mukundan, who has also won the JCB Prize for Literature for his book Delhi: A Soliloquy, said, “MT Vasudevan Nair was one of the legendary writers of Malayalam literature. He was a unique kind of writer in the sense that he was very serious about his writing and nobody could influence him, not even the market or the publishers. He was a great writer with a massive fan following and his books remain in great demand among readers. He would never compromise the quality of his books. When he wrote a book, he worked on it again and again to make it perfect. That kind of dedication to writing is unique. In my opinion, he was the only Malayalam writer who could have won a Nobel Prize in Literature for his body of work in Malayalam literature.”
The Kerala Literature Festival 2025 paid tribute to MT Vasudevan Nair through a session in Malayalam titled MT Enna Ambathonnaksharam, which translates to MT the 51 alphabets, indicating the 51 alphabets in Malayalam language. The session featured festival director K Satchidanandan along with panelists MM Basheer, A Pradeep Kumar, Dr Beena Philip and moderator AK Abdul Hakeem and discussed the work of the legendary writer. The session received an overwhelming response from MT’s fans and readers attending the festival.
This was such an informative read! I appreciate how you make learning feel like a conversation rather than a lecture.