MT Vasudevan Nair was a great humanitarian, says critic MK Sanu

MT Vasudevan Nair Photo Credit: S. Mahinsa

MT Vasudevan Nair will always be remembered for bringing a new sensibility to modern Malayalam literature. He brought about that change in both content and form.

His novel Manju Can be placed among the masterpieces of world literature. A recurring motif of endless waiting and loneliness experienced by the main character Manju It can be compared to the absurdity of waiting in Samuel Beckett’s famous play, Waiting for Godot. MT’s craft lies in his style, the precise selection of words to convey the moods and inner feelings of his characters.

Among his best works, the novel pen He is at his best as the reader journeys with the sense of despair experienced by Sethu Madhavan, the protagonist. MT was also an excellent screenwriter. I am a big fan of his popular movie scripts Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha Directed by Hariharan. After watching it, I fell for the extraordinary combination of actors Mammootty and MT on screen. He also left an indelible mark as a filmmaker. He was also an excellent editor and showed his credentials in the careful selection of works published in Mathrubhoomi Weekly during his editorship.

Although our interaction was limited to a few occasions, there was mutual respect. I remember the day I was in Kozhikode to present the Chawra Cultural Award in 2018. In his speech, he praised everyone for the humanitarian and social activities that I can do as a writer and critic. In my speech, I told the crowd that MT was a great humanitarian who was able to empathize with his fellow human beings.

(As told to G. Krishnakumar)