Kozhikode: Noted Malayalam writer and Jnanipath Award winner M T Vasudevan Nair passed away at 91 on Wednesday. He had been unwell for the past ten days and was admitted to a private hospital in Kozhikode following complaints of breathlessness. He suffered a heart attack while undergoing treatment. His death is an irreparable loss to both Malayam cinema and literature.
His last rites will be held at 5 PM on Thursday at the Mavoor Road crematorium.
The body is kept at his residence on Kottaram Road. Public viewing will be held at the house until 4 PM in the afternoon.
Hon'ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan condoled the sad demise of Jnanpith laureate Sri MT Vasudevan Nair.“The passing of Jnanpith laureate M.T. Vasudevan Nair marks a profound loss for both Malayalam and Indian literature.: PRO KeralaRajBhavan (1/3) #MT pic.twitter.com/NqJIjAkapa
— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) December 25, 2024
Popularly known as M T, he authored nine novels, and 19 collections of short stories, directed six films, wrote around 54 screenplays, and published several collections of essays and memoirs over a career spanning seven decades.
His novel Naalukettu (The Ancestral House) solidified his place as a literary icon and is considered a classic in Malayalam literature. He also penned several acclaimed works, including Asuravithu, Manju, and Kaalam.
M T's literary achievements earned him the Jnanpith Award in 1995, India's highest literary honour, as well as numerous other accolades, including the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Vallathol Award, Ezhuthachan Award, Mathrubhumi Literary Award, and O N V Literary Award.
With MT Vasudevan Nair’s passing, we’ve lost a doyen of Malayalam literature who elevated our language to global heights. A true cultural icon, he captured the soul of Kerala through his timeless works. His steadfast commitment to secularism and humanity leaves behind a legacy… pic.twitter.com/2d0V7Tdgp4
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) December 25, 2024
In 2005, M T was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour.
He received the J C Daniel Award for lifetime achievement in Malayalam cinema in 2013, and in 2022, he was honoured with the inaugural Kerala Jyothi Award, the highest civilian honour from the Kerala government.
M T also served as the editor of Mathrubhumi Weekly for several years.
Condoling his demise, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said the passing of M T marks a profound loss for both Malayalam and Indian literature.
"This multifaceted genius who enriched literature, cinema, and journalism authored some of the finest works in Malayalam literature. As a writer, M T championed modernism through characters that embodied modernist sensibilities, and as editor, advanced the movement by publishing the works of other modernist writers," he said, extending heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
"May his soul attain Mukti," the Governor wrote.
With the passing of Shri M.T. Vasudevan Nair, we bid adieu to a genius who transformed literature and cinema into powerful mediums of cultural expression. His narratives captured the depth of human emotions and the essence of Kerala’s heritage.
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 25, 2024
A true custodian of our art and… pic.twitter.com/JdyOMLANMh
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the brilliance that brought Malayalam literature to the forefront of world literature is what we have lost with the passing of M T Vasudevan Nair.
"It is an irreparable loss not only to Kerala in general but also to the world of Malayalam literature," Vijayan said in a statement.
Describing M T as a towering figure in the fields of short story writing, novel writing, screenplay writing, film direction, journalism, and cultural leadership, Vijayan said that through his works, he conveyed the beauty and complexity of Kerala's life.
"He rose to global prominence while firmly rooting himself in the cultural traditions of Valluvanadu, reflecting the life and ethos of the people. In doing so, M T marked not only the individual minds of Keralites but also the collective consciousness of the people of Kerala through his writings," he said.
ഒരു ജനതയാകെ മാതൃഭാഷ എങ്ങനെ എഴുതണം എങ്ങനെ പറയണം എന്ന് ഒരു പേനയുടെ ബലം കൊണ്ട് മലയാളത്തിന്റെ പുണ്യവും നിറവിളക്കുമായി നിറഞ്ഞു നിന്ന എം.ടി രാജ്യത്തിന്റെ ഔന്നത്യമായിരുന്നു. മലയാള ഭാഷയുടെ ഇതിഹാസം. സ്വന്തം ജീവിതം കൊണ്ട് അദ്ദേഹം തീർത്തത് കേരളത്തിന്റെ തന്നെ സംസ്‌കാരിക ചരിത്രമാണ്. #RipMT pic.twitter.com/gnTYXiSM7s
— V D Satheesan (@vdsatheesan) December 25, 2024
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, said M T was the one who, with the power of a pen, determined how a people should write and speak in their mother tongue.
"M T stood as the symbol of the nation’s greatness, filled with the sanctity and radiance of Malayalam," Satheesan said.
In a statement, the state government said it would observe official mourning on December 26 and 27 as a mark of respect for M T.
The Chief Minister has directed that all government events, including the Cabinet meeting scheduled for December 26, be postponed, it said.
Born in 1933 in Kudallur, a quaint village in Palakkad district, Kerala, M T, through more than seven decades of writing, created a literary world that appealed equally to both ordinary people and intellectuals.
ചിലരെങ്കിലും പറയാറുണ്ട് എം.ടിയാണ് മമ്മൂട്ടിയെ കണ്ടെത്തിയതെന്ന്.കാണാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചതും അതിനായി പ്രാർത്ഥിച്ചതും അങ്ങനെ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ കണ്ടെത്തിയതും ഞാനായിരുന്നു.കണ്ട ദിവസം മുതൽ ആ ബന്ധം വളർന്നു.
— Mammootty (@mammukka) December 25, 2024
സ്നേഹിതനെപ്പോലെ, സഹോദരനെപ്പോലെ അത് പെരുകി.
നാലഞ്ച് മാസം മുമ്പ് എറണാകുളത്ത് ഒരു… pic.twitter.com/gQQ3WRJeZt
At the time, Kudallur was part of the Malabar district under the Madras Presidency of British India.
He was the youngest of four children born to T Narayanan Nair and Ammalu Amma.
His father worked in Ceylon, while M T spent his early years in Kudallur and at his paternal home in Punnayurkulam, a village in present-day Thrissur district.
M T's early life and surroundings deeply influenced his literary sensibilities.
He completed his schooling at Malamakkavu Elementary School and Kumaranelloor High School and graduated with a degree in chemistry from Victoria College, Palakkad, in 1953.
His professional journey began as a teacher and gramasevakan at a block development office in Taliparamba, Kannur, before he joined Mathrubhumi Weekly as a sub-editor in 1957.
