Wed Dec 25 17:43:42 UTC 2024: ## Jnanpith Award Winner M.T. Vasudevan Nair Passes Away at 91
**Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala –** Renowned Malayalam writer and Jnanpith Award recipient M.T. Vasudevan Nair passed away on Wednesday at the age of 91. He had been receiving treatment at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram following heart failure. Hospital sources confirmed the news without further detail.
Nair, popularly known as M.T., was a literary giant with a career spanning seven decades. His contributions to Malayalam literature and cinema are immense. He authored nine novels, 19 short story collections, directed six films, and penned approximately 54 screenplays. He also published numerous essays and memoirs. His novel “Naalukettu” (The Ancestral House) is considered a Malayalam classic and cemented his status as a literary icon. Other notable works include “Asuravithu,” “Manju,” and “Kaalam.”
His literary achievements earned him India’s highest literary honour, the Jnanpith Award (1995), as well as numerous other accolades including the Padma Bhushan (2005), the J.C. Daniel Award for lifetime achievement in Malayalam cinema (2013), and the inaugural Kerala Jyothi Award (2022). He also served as the editor of Mathrubhumi Weekly.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed deep sorrow, stating that Nair’s passing represents an irreparable loss to Malayalam literature and Kerala. He lauded Nair’s ability to portray the beauty and complexity of Kerala’s life while achieving global recognition. The state government has declared two days of official mourning, December 26th and 27th, postponing all government events, including the Cabinet meeting scheduled for December 26th, as a mark of respect.
First Piper 