17 hours ago
M.T.'s life retold in vivid detail
His was an extraordinary life. M.T. Vasudevan Nair influenced the language and society in the way no other writer did.
With his novels, short stories and screenplays, he enriched Malayalam literature and cinema like nobody else. He was also an exceptional literary journalist. It cannot be easy to write the life story of such a man. It took K. Sreekumar three years to come up with the biography of M.T. That time seems to be well spent.
M.T. Vasudevan Nair, published by Mathrubhumi Books, succeeds in telling the reader, vividly and in detail, about every aspect of the genius. The book is more than a mere biography; it is also a study of M.T.'s works. His novels, short stories and films have been discussed. And M.T. himself reveals how his much-loved characters and plots have taken shape in his mind.
Importantly, it is not just his fiction and cinema that fill the pages – more than 1,000 of them – but other aspects of his creativity, such as drama. Not many people may know that M.T. was a State Award-winning playwright and drama director. His contribution to children's literature and career in Mathrubhumi Weekly, where he had two stints as editor, also features prominently in the book. You could even read about M.T.'s failed business ventures: he had run a pharmacy for a while and founded a publishing house which had done very well initially, having brought out Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's Anuragathinte Dinangal and Sukumar Azhikode's classic Thathwamasi.
The students and admirers of M.T. will appreciate that Sreekumar has managed to include in the book some of the lesser-known works from the master storyteller. You could read M.T.'s play Gopuranatayil, the songs he wrote for films and drama, and even some of his work as a student.
By talking to various people connected with M.T. and anthologising tributes to him in little-known publications, the author gives insight into his personality as well. Liberal use of photographs and clippings from old newspapers and magazines embellish the book.
For Sreekumar, it was a labour of love. 'The suggestion about the biography came from M.T.'s close friend and literary critic M.M. Basheer,' he says. 'I was glad that M.T. allowed me to write the book; I have known him for a long time and worked with him at Mathrubhumi Weekly. My only regret is that I could not complete it in his lifetime. I know he was looking forward to it.'
