Solemn start to MT’s 90th birthday fete in Kozhikode

‘Sukritham’, the five-day event organised by the Mathrubhumi Group to mark writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s birthday celebrations, had a solemn start, with filmmaker Maniratnam and historian Manu S. Pillai paying him glowing tributes.

K.P. Kesava Menon Hall was unusually jam-packed on Monday evening. As the monsoon clouds stayed away from Kozhikode’s skies, literature lovers from near and afar poured in to honour the city’s most famous resident, who will turn 90 this month.

‘Sukritham’, the five-day event organised by the Mathrubhumi Group to mark writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s birthday celebrations, had a solemn start, with filmmaker Maniratnam and historian Manu S. Pillai paying him glowing tributes.

Recalling his visit to Kozhikode 30 years ago to meet MT, Mr. Maniratnam, who opened the event, said he had wanted the writer to pen the script for Bombay. “We had a nice discussion. He did not write Bombay for me, but gave me the thought for what was my most loved film, Iruvar. I am indebted to him for that,” he said.

Mr. Maniratnam said it was unique for somebody who was so good in literature to have a tremendous grasp of screenwriting. “A lot of writers I have known from literature do not treat script writing as seriously [as he does] or they are not as proficient as MT. His scripts, each one is probably a textbook. I think the way he structures his characters, the way they are developed are very cinematic and powerful. They are all so well-defined,” he pointed out. The filmmaker said he always wanted to do a film with MT as the writer. There was once a plan to have a movie based on Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, which did not work out. “I hope that I will be able to make one of his stories [as a film]. We are proud to have somebody like him to guide us,” added Mr. Maniratnam.

Mr. Pillai spoke about how MT’s novel Nalukettu was an important moment in his evolution as someone with an interest in Kerala history. He said Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, the Mammootty-starrer written by MT, was one of the earliest historical Malayalam movies he had watched. “The story had a twist. MT’s Chanthu was a multi-layered character. That injected a thought into my mind. It is possible to look at a story from a different perspective,” he said.

Replying to the tributes, MT said he was happy to be among people he loved. “I have never had the habit of celebrating my birthday, even during my childhood. Now I am happy to see people coming from different parts to celebrate my birthday,” he added.

M.V. Shreyams Kumar, Mathrumbhumi managing director, and P.V. Chandran, Mathrubhumi chairman and managing editor, and Mayor Beena Philip, among others, were present.