MT Vasudevan Nair's characters are often caught in the throes of inner conflict, shaped by their struggles with identity, morality, and societal change. His narratives, rich in cultural nuance, transcend mere storytelling to become meditative explorations of existence.
From the quiet anguish of Nirmalyam to the haunting intensity of Sadayam, MT’s screenplays are masterpieces of structure and depth. Whether crafting deeply personal tales like Amrutham Gamaya or reimagining folklore with Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, MT’s work remains timeless, resonating with audiences across generations. Here’s a list where TNIE revisits some of MT’s classics that stand as testaments to his unparalleled wizardry.
Nirmalyam (1973)
MT's directorial debut stands as a bold and unflinching exploration of human struggle. Had it been released today, the film would likely have faced significant scrutiny and backlash, particularly for its iconic and controversial scene where the oracle, in an anguished outburst, spits on the idol of the deity he has devoted his life to. In an era where religious sentiments often dominate public discourse, such a defiant act would almost certainly provoke outrage, overshadowing the film's artistic merits.
MT Vasudevan Nair’s direction and writing transcend mere social commentary; they dissect the human condition with subtlety and compassion. The film explores the delicate tension between faith and survival, set against a backdrop of a decaying temple and a village teetering between tradition and the pressing need for change. Its quiet, meditative pace allows these themes to unfold naturally, with cinematographer Ramachandra Babu’s visual choices enhancing the sense of a world on the brink of collapse. PJ Antony’s portrayal of the oracle is nothing short of masterful, capturing the deep conflict of a man torn between his unwavering devotion to religion and the grinding reality of his poverty. Antony’s powerful performance earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor. Nirmalyam was also awarded the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Kamal Haasan, who has often praised the film, called it a monumental work that profoundly shaped his understanding of storytelling.
While it remains a classic, Nirmalyam reflects a period when creative freedom was still distinct from the influence of political or religious forces, a stark contrast to the climate of today, where such works are often filtered through a lens of ideological scrutiny.
Aalkoottathil Thaniye (1984)
Family dramas have been the cornerstone of Malayalam movies but this one was with a difference. Exposing the ravages of time when relations became namesake associations and traditions that cemented values became mere mechanical rites, the story was famously touching as it portrayed Madhavan (Balan K Nair) on deathbed as his family gathered around him more out of obligation than love. The movie, which saw the joint work of MT and I V Sasi, was a celebration of stoic female power as a playful Ammukutty (Seema) transformed into a matriarch who responded to the call of Madhavan, her uncle, forgetting the way he forced her cousin and love interest Rajan (Mammooty) to marry a wealthier Nalini (Unni Mary). The scenes that play out in that ancestral home expose bitter truths in the context of an emerging urban lifestyle that urges people to trade on the small joys of a close-knit traditional life. It also showed the positivity of changing times when the male of the species was encouraged to think in terms of the woman’s perspective. In many ways such as these, the film portrayed times in the throes of change and was a peek into what Kerala was transforming into. The 1984 movie was fashioned out of one of MT’s short stories Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam and fetched many state awards that year.
Panchagni (1986)
The power of a self-righteous mind has to pass through several fires—this was the plot of MT’s fiery yet passionate work Panchagni. In many ways, it set the tone of social ethics for many youngsters who would probably read the script or watch the movie, as Indira, the protagonist struggles to free herself from the clutches of incarceration and finally attains it only to be tested again for the genuinity of her ideal to not tolerate injustice. She finds a helpless girl being gang-raped by her friend’s husband and his friends and doesn’t blink an eye when the only way to stop the act seems to be silencing the culprits with a gun. The plot, fashioned loosely on the life of Naxalite K Ajitha, portrayed a strong female whose heart had all the softness of femininity yet was firm enough to not stand and stare as an unbridled show of ruthless power is unleashed on the hapless. Again an MT-Hariharan collaboration, the 1986 movie brought out a sparkling performance from the dewy Geeta, whose entry at the national award that year for the best actor in the female category was closely contested, with Monisha bagging it finally for another one of MT’s work Nakhakshathangal. This was much to the dismay of Panchagni fans who felt Geeta deserved the award more.
Amrutham Gamaya (1987)
A poignant tale of sorrow and redemption, directed by T Hariharan, where Dr Haridas carries the weight of a youthful mistake that shattered a family. In a world tainted by corruption and division, his heart, burdened with guilt, seeks something beyond forgiveness. Mohanlal’s extraordinary portrayal of Haridas is a slow-burning journey, where each step is drenched in self-loathing. Yet, within that darkness, there is the faintest glimmer of hope — his desperate, fragile search for atonement. MT’s evocative screenplay is not merely a story told but a soul laid bare. His writing unravels the layers of guilt, weaving Haridas’s internal conflict into every interaction and silent moment. With characteristic depth, MT explores not just the moral burden of guilt but its ripple effects on identity, relationships and the very essence of existence. Years later, Hariharan praised Mohanlal’s performance, calling it truly remarkable and deserving of a National Award. He highlighted the scene where Haridas injects pethidine into his thighs and the moment he realises the family he befriended is the same one he had wronged in the past, describing them as “heartbreaking” and filled with subtle yet disturbing inner turmoil.
Aaranyakam (1988)
This film was a breath of fresh air of the woods as its name suggests. A girl of 16, a dreamer who seeks a small bower of creepers and for a singing bird for company, meets an injured man in a ravine who is in fact a Naxalite seeking to kill the feudal landlord that her uncle is. Her love for nature, poetry and her frivolous yet inquisitiveness make her his friend. The trust she has in his goodness is shattered later when he accidentally kills the man she is in love with in his war against feudalism. The movie brings forth the tussle between ideology and human relations in all its innocence and naivety. In a world where dreams are of nature, of love, of small nothings that can spark creative bliss in the mind of those who experience all this, ideology is quite the killer that slashes indiscriminately the very dreams that it fights for. The movie is another magic of Hariharan and MT, and is known for its beautiful music composed by Raghunath Seth, soulfully penned by ONV Kurup. Aaranyakam is also known for the mild, playful, but extremely quirky Ammini, portrayed by Saleema, who remains one of Malayalam cinema’s landmark characters.
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989)
“You don’t know me. No one knows me. The truth is that I haven’t allowed anyone to know me." Chandu’s lament is more than self-pity; it is the cry of a man crushed by love, betrayal, and the relentless hand of fate. The label of cheat and master of deceit lingers, like a stain upon the soul, unforgotten and ever present. Chandu Chekavar, the famed warrior of the Vadakkan Pattukal, the folk tales from Malabar, carried around that tag for centuries. In their magnum opus Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, MT and T Hariharan reimagined this lore into something deeply perceptive and human. MT’s script and dialogues earned the National Film Award for Best Screenplay, a testament to its poetic brilliance and moral complexity. His Chandu is no longer a villain but a tragic figure—a warrior whose greatest battles are fought within.
Mammootty breathes life into this creation with a performance that feels less like acting and more like soul-baring. His Chandu is a storm of contradictions: fierce in battle, yet fragile in emotion; capable of wielding steel but unable to resist the pull of unrequited love. Mammootty’s portrayal, which won him the National Award for Best Actor, is a study in intensity, finding poetry in every pause and power in every whispered line. His quiet despair as Unniyarcha marries another man is heartbreaking, his eyes saying everything that words cannot.
The film’s visual splendour is another triumph, with P Krishnamoorthy’s art and costume design, both of which won National Film Awards, recreating 16th-century Malabar in exquisite detail. From the grandeur of the kalari arenas to the intricacy of warrior attire, every frame is a work of art that complements the narrative’s emotional depth. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, which swept eight Kerala State Film Awards, is now being readied for a grand re-release in 4K restoration with Dolby Atmos sound, ensuring its timelessness resonates with a new generation of viewers.
Utharam (1989)
Selina (Suparna), a poet who challenged the world with her profound question—”Yanthra thokkum bombum ondaakkaan kazhiyunna technologykk oru panineer poovine srishtikkaan aavumo (Can the technology capable of creating machine guns and bombs create a jasmine flower?)”—later meets her end in a cruel twist of irony, felled by the very weapon she scorned accidentally. Her death is not just a tragedy but a puzzle, drawing her grieving husband Mathew (Sukumaran) into the shadows of her life. With Balanchandran (Mammootty), a journalist whose wit is as sharp as his instincts and whose empathy drives his pursuit of truth, the search for answers begins. Based on Daphne Du Maurier’s short story No Motive, VK Pavithran’s direction breathes intrigue into MT Vasudevan Nair’s utterly brilliant screenplay, which unfolds like layers of a riddle wrapped in emotion. More than a mystery, it’s about peeling back the answer of who Selina truly was, exploring her poetry, her pain and her paradoxes.
Thazhvaram (1990)
Perhaps the finest western thriller from Malayalam, Thazhvaram is a glorious testament to MT’s versatility in screen-writing. MT, along with visionary filmmaker Bharathan, elevated what might have otherwise been a generic revenge tale with a Spaghetti Western-like treatment, which was unheard of in Malayalam cinema till then. A gripping tale of two friends-turned-foes, Thazhvaram steers clear of the usual drama tropes and the loudness that comes with it. Instead, it thrives on the tension built gradually with astute writing, before concluding in a raw scuffle, witnessed by blood-thirsty vultures.
With the re-release trend gaining increasing acceptance, clamours are now reaching a feverish pitch for Thazhvaram to be experienced with superior audiovisual quality from the big screen. That should tell a lot about how the film has stood the test of time.
Sadayam (1992)
A haunting character study dipped in darkness. Sathyanathan, a painter with a soul scarred by childhood abandonment, doesn’t just hate the world–he’s almost at war with it. His mother, a sex worker, only deepens his fury. MT weaves him into a character you can’t look away from, even as his creepy eyes and twisted smile make you want to. Mohanlal doesn’t act; he becomes Sathyanathan, a deeply complex figure whose actions force you to grapple with the weight of his scars, choices and circumstances. This Sibi Malayil directorial doesn’t offer easy answers or clear moral lines, instead immersing you in the psyche of a man shaped by cruelty and rejection. By the end, it’s not just the plot that unsettles, but the way your comfort crumbles as you confront the human being behind the crimes—the pain and layers that make him unforgettable.
MT’s masterful screenplay for this film earned him the National Film Award for Best Screenplay once again. The brilliance of the narrative lies in its refusal to simplify Sathyanathan’s character, instead portraying his journey with stark realism and haunting emotional weight.
Oru Cheru Punchiri (2000)
A film that feels like a warm hug. It’s as if MT, between all his heartrending dramas and captivating thrillers, decided to make a film that’s as sweet as a pirannal payasam. Directed by MT himself, Oru Cheru Punchiri is a beautiful romantic tale of a couple in their twilight years.Almost 25 years after its release, it’s still safe to say that there haven’t been many films that have captured an elderly couple’s dynamics more effectively. There isn’t a great deal of romantic expression or grand gestures here, just Krishna Kurup and Ammalu annoying each other over what to cook for the next meal, helping thread a needle, and enjoying a casual stroll around their backyard. And what an apt title. Even a casual mention of the film brings a smile to the face. Besides being screened at a few international film festivals and securing MT a Kerala State award for direction, the film also bagged a deserving National Award for the Best Film on Environment Conservation / Preservation.
(Team TNIE: Vivek Santhosh, Vignesh Madhu, and Aparna Nair)