At 80, Malayalee writer MT wants to do more

On his 80th birthday Monday, one of Kerala's most versatile, popular and prolific writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair - popularly known as MT - humbly said he has done little and wants to do more.

"I have done a little. I wish to do more and my prayer is that I have good health for it," said MT, one of the most sought after screenplay writers in the state.

Born in Kudallur, a small village in present-day Palakkad district (Palghat), he now lives in Kozhikode.

His all-time popular novels about life in the matriarchal family in Kerala are "Naalukettu" (The Legacy), "Asuravithu" (The Demon Seed), and "Kaalam" (Time).

Awards have come calling on him, including Padma Bhushan and the Jnanpith, for his contribution to Malayalam literature. His novel "Randamoozham" (The Second Turn) is widely credited as his masterpiece.

Superstar Mammootty recalls his over three decades old friendship with the great multi-faceted personality as one he wishes to cherish forever.

Incidentally, the first film for which Mammootty donned the grease paint was "Devalokathil", directed by MT. However, it could not be completed.

"I used to read his works even before I came into films. Probably that's why whenever he wrote for me once I came to filmdom, everything clicked. He knew me and I knew him after we worked for two or three films. Since then, we have had one of the best relationships," said Mammootty.

"He is one of the pillars of the Malayalam language, and irrespective of his age, MT will always be around as long as Kerala and Malyalees exist," said Mammootty.

"When he writes dialogues for me, he hears my sound reverberate in him," added the superstar, whose super hit films like "Oru Vadekan Veeragatha", "Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja" and "Sukurtham" were scripted by MT.

MT has also penned for superstar Mohanlal, whose films "Amritham Gamayam", "Thazhvaram" and "Sadayam" were super hits. Two of his works, "Ezhamathe Varavu" and "Kadhaveedu", are under production.