THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Nale ente pirannalanu’ (Tomorrow is my birthday) is how the story begins. ‘Oru Pirannalinte Orma’, an oft-read and widely-discussed short story in Malayalam by MT, talks about a bitter childhood memory of a birthday that left a long-lasting pang in the protoganist’s memory. It remains one of the most read stories in Malayalam. In a way, the story also sheds light into the life of the author. MT Vasudevan Nair, MT in short, has always been a solitary reaper in Malayalam. An acclaimed writer, award-winning auteur and a keenly-watched literary editor, he is Malayalam’s most “worshipped” cultural icons of all time.
On Friday, the legendary writer celebrated his 89th birthday at a shooting location in Thodupuzha along with his daughter Aswathy, actor Mohanlal, film-makers Priyadarshan and Santhosh Sivan and actor Durga Krishna. It was on the shooting set of ‘Olavum Threeravum’, one among the ten movies based on stories written by MT in the Netflix Anthology series. ‘Olavum Theeravum’, a 1969-movie was originally directed by P N Menon and written by MT.
One of the most-read and re-read writers in Malayalam, MT has left his readers spellbound with his creations, Most of his characters are innocent villagers found around him. At a time when cultural leaders and writers are expected to remain politically active by airing his opinions on anything and everything, MT often maintained a stoic silence, which has been misinterpreted many a time. Yet, whenever MT has spoken, Kerala has listened with rapt attention.
In a previous interview with TNIE, MT had stated his opinion that cultural leaders are not bound to respond to anything and everything. “Not that I don’t have an opinion on things happening around us. But that doesn’t mean we should express an opinion on everything. When we feel that we should speak out, we must. If an issue has touched us in someway, it will come out in some form,” MT had told TNIE.
On his birthday, people from different walks of life greeted the Jnanpith awardee. Endowed with exceptional creative prowess, MT has influenced not only Malayalam literature but also Kerala’s cultural history, opined Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, while greeting the celbrated writer on his birthday. “His contributions to literature and cinema have gone a long way in shaping the Malayalis’ artistic sensibilities. The voice that he raised against conservative thoughts and politics of communalism through the written word will always inspire progressive ideals,” said Pinarayi.