The film team pays a heartfelt tribute to MT Vasudevan Nair

Writer and filmmaker MT Vasudevan Nair and actor Mammootty (file) | Photo Credit: K. RAGESH

Eminent personalities from the Malayalam film industry, including Mammootty, Mohan Lal and Manju Warrier, paid their last respects to MT Vasudevan Nair, who passed away in Kozhikode on December 25, 2024 night.

Known for his major contributions as a screenwriter, director, and producer, Vasudevan Nair, popularly known as MT, was a towering figure in Indian literature and cinema.

Actor Mohanlal visited ‘Sithara’, MT’s place in Kozhikode, to bid a final farewell, where the public was also allowed to say goodbye.

Reflecting on his meeting with the Jnanpith award, Mohanlal said, “MT has given me the most memorable characters in my film career. He even went to Mumbai to watch my Sanskrit plays and used to meet him whenever I visited Kozhikode. Doing roles written by -MT has been an incomparable privilege.”

Actor Mammootty shared a heartfelt post on Facebook, expressing a deep sense of loss. “Finding a place in the heart of MT is the greatest blessing of my career,” he wrote.

“I played many characters who carried his soul, although I don’t remember all of them now. Every season ends, leaving my mind empty. When I held him after he tripped during a program in Ernakulam four to five months ago, I felt like I was holding my father.”

Veteran actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan, who has worked with MT in films like this one Kanyakumari again Manorathangal,mourning the loss of a dear mentor and friend.

“My friendship with him is as a film composer Kanyakumariwhich introduced me to the world of Malayalam screen, now fifty years old, continued till the latest ‘Manorathangal,” he wrote in X.

Director Hariharan, who collaborated with MT on several critically acclaimed films, broke down while paying his respects.

In his tribute, actor Manju Warrier likened MT to a father figure among modern Malayalam writers.

“The only character I portrayed, written by MT Sir was named ‘Daya’ (kindness), which is a good example of compassion. Thank you for making Malayalam literature and cinema timeless,” he wrote.

Ms Warrier also recalled the precious ‘ezhuthola’ gifted by MT when she visited Thunchan Parambu, the memorial to the father of the Malayalam language.

MT’s legacy in cinema is unparalleled. He directed seven films and about 54 scripts, many of which are considered classics, incl. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Of courseagain All the time.

His works seamlessly blend deep narrative with visual storytelling, which earned him four National Film Awards for Best Screenplay, the most for any person in Malayalam cinema.

He made his directorial debut in 1973 with Nirmalyamthe heartbreaking story of a village orator facing social change, won the National Award for Best Feature Film.

MT’s repertoire has expanded beyond feature films to include documentaries, songs, and even TV series.