Noted Malayalam writer and Jnanpith award winner M.T. Vasudevan Nair breathed his last at a private hospital in Kozhikode on Wednesday night. He was 91.
M.T., as he is popularly known, had been under the care of a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including cardiologists and critical care experts, since his hospitalisation last week.
In a literary career spanning seven decades, M.T. authored nine novels, 19 collections of short stories, directed six films and wrote around 54 screenplays besides publishing several collections of essays and memoirs.
Naalukettu, Asuravithu, Manju, and Kaalam are some of his most acclaimed works. M.T. won Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour, in 1995. He was awarded Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2005.
He also bagged several other accolades, including the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Vallathol Award and Ezhuthachan Award.
“It is an irreparable loss not only to Kerala in general but also to the world of Malayalam literature," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement.
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.
M.T.'s films are regarded as masterpieces, showcasing his ability to merge compelling narratives with visual storytelling. He won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay a record four times, for 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha' (1989), 'Kadavu' (1991), 'Sadayam' (1992), and 'Parinayam' (1994).
