M.T. Vasudevan Nair was a great humanist, says critic M.K. Sanoo

M.T. Vasudevan Nair's legacy in Malayalam literature, film, and scriptwriting is marked by empathy and exceptional storytelling.

M.T. Vasudevan Nair will always be remembered for ushering in a new sensibility in modern Malayalam literature. He brought that change in both content and form.

His novel Manju can be placed among the best works in world literature. The recurring motif of endless waiting and loneliness experienced by the lead character in Manju can be compared to the absurdity of waiting mapped in Samuel Beckett’s famous play, Waiting for Godot. MT’s craft lies in his style, the precise selection of words to convey the mood and inner feelings of his characters. 

Among his illustrious works, the novel Kaalam is his best as the readers travel along with the sense of disillusionment experienced by Sethu Madhavan, the protagonist. M.T. was also an outstanding scriptwriter. I am a big fan of his script for the popular movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha directed by Hariharan. After watching it, I fell for the exceptional combination of actor Mammootty and M.T. on screen. As a filmmaker too, he left an indelible mark. He was also an excellent editor and displayed his credentials in the careful selection of works published in the Mathrubhumi weekly in his tenure as its editor. 

We had mutual respect, though our interactions were limited to a few occasions. I remember the day when I was in Kozhikode to present the Chavara Samskrithi Puraskaram in 2018. In his speech, he was all praise for the humanitarian and social activities that I was able to undertake as a writer and critic. In my speech, I told the crowd that M.T. was a great humanist who was able to empathise with his fellow humans.

(As told to G. Krishnakumar)