M. T. Vasudevan Nair (MT)

Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair ( known as MT ) is an author of modern Malayalam literature. MT is also a scriptwriter and director of Malayalam films. He has directed seven films and written the screenplay for around 54 films. He shot into fame at the age of 20 when he won the prize for the best short story in Malayalam at the World Short Story Competition conducted by The New York Herald Tribune.

His debut novel Naalukettu (Ancestral Home- translated to English as The Legacy), written at the age of 23, won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958.

He completed his schooling at Malamakkavu Elementary School and Kumaranelloor High School. He obtained a degree in chemistry from Victoria College, Palakkad in 1953. He served as the editor of Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly for several years.

He has won numerous awards during his career, notably the highest literary award in India, Jnanpith, in 1995 for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature and Padma Bhushan In 2005( India's third-highest civilian honour). He has won numerous other awards and recognition including Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Vallathol Award, Ezhuthachan Award, Mathrubhumi Literary Award and O. N. V. Literary Award. He was awarded the J.C. Daniel Award for lifetime achievement in Malayalam cinema for the year 2013.

He was the youngest of four children born to T. Narayanan Nair and Ammalu Amma. MT has been married twice. He married writer and translator Prameela in 1965. They separated after 11 years of marriage. He has a daughter from this marriage, Sithara. In 1977 he married dance artist Kalamandalam Saraswathy with whom he has a daughter Aswathy Nair (dancer).