THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “Never have I celebrated my birthday. I was born in the month of Karkidakam, a season when rural folks like us would face extreme scarcity of essentials. I was the fourth child. Celebrating my birthday was never an option during my younger days,” was how he chose to portray his childhood memories, the other day.
No wonder then that the child would go on to write a much-discussed short story about a birthday— Oru Pirannalinte Orma — which begins with the line, Nale ente pirannaalaanu (Tomorrow is my birthday).
M T Vasudevan Nair, the crafty wordsmith who influenced many a generation through his writings and movies, turns 90 on Saturday.
Acclaimed writer, award-winning auteur and a much-respected literary editor, MT remains one of the most celebrated cultural icons of Malayalis across the globe. Perhaps, there’s no other Malayalam writer who works are read and re-read as his are.
Though re-reading MT in the present age has generated many a critical perspective, it remains indisputable that his writings have left a lasting impression on readers. Beyond the cult status, he enjoys among legions of fans, MT has played a crucial role in shaping Malayali sensibilities. Contrary to present-day icons, he has not been vocal about all and sundry.
But the moment he breaks his silence, cultural Kerala tunes in. The rare remarks bespoken by the writer, be it on politics, culture or society, have generated wider debates in Kerala society.
In its literal sense, MT has always chosen to stay away from politics. Despite that, politics tends to centre around him, whenever he spoke. There has been no dearth of attempts to box him into certain pre-determined niches. This may also explain why his remarks on demonetisation and certain college students led to quite a furore in Kerala society.
A writer who has closely seen Kerala’s birth and journey
MT had once shared with TNIE how the growing intolerance in the country ‘affects and saddens’ him. “Intolerance has reached such levels that even writing a book or raising your voice against an accepted norm, can invite public wrath. Resist however we must, through writing, cinema and theatre.
That’s the only way out,” he had stated. That the nonagenarian writer still holds the key to the love lives of even new generations, is no secret. The romantic lyricism of Vimala, the protagonist in ‘Manj’, one of his most critically appreciated works, still appeals to the younger generations. “I later on realized that love was just an adventure like mountaineering, only till you reach the top.
Once you engrave your name there, it’s emptiness. An exercise in futility!” was how he chose to portray it in his work ‘Sukrutham’.Here’s a writer who has seen the birth and shaping up of Kerala at close quarters. A man, who could well be termed Kerala’s own cultural icon. Perhaps there’s no one else in the state’s cultural realm who has reflected upon the changing hues of the Malayali psyche with so much precision, as he did!
Wishes pour in
MT’s literary and cultural activities have stood for democratic, secular and progressive ideals, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said ahead of the writer’s 90th birthday. He said there were few others who had made as immense contributions to the state’s cultural sphere as MT.