MT Vasudevan Nair, one of the most prominent figures in Malayalam literature, died in Kerala’s Kozhikode on Wednesday, The Hindu reported. He was 91.

Nair was undergoing medical treatment after suffering a cardiac arrest earlier in December.

The Kerala government has declared two-day state mourning.

Nair was born in Kudallur village in Palakkad district. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Nair worked as a school teacher.

Nair started contributing to prominent Malayalam literary magazines in the 1950s, according to The Hindu. At 20, he won a prize for the best short story in Malayalam at the World Short Story Competition held by The New York Herald Tribune.

In 1956, he moved to Kozhikode and joined the Mathrubhumi literary magazine. Nair was appointed as the magazine’s editor in 1965, a position he held until 1981, according to The Indian Express.

He was also the president of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and chairperson of the Thunchan Memorial Trust and Research Centre.

In 1959, Nair’s debut novel, Naalukettu. won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award. He was 23 years old at the time.

Over the next three decades, he published several prominent literary works, including Asuravithu, Manju, Randamoozham and Iruttinte Athmavu. His last novel, Varanasi, was published in 2002.

One of his works, Kaalam, also won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi prize in 1969.

Nair also left an indelible mark on Malayalam films. He directed seven films and wrote 45 scripts. He penned his first movie script, Murappenn, in 1965. His directorial debut in 1973 with the film Nirmalyam won him a national award for best feature film.

He was conferred with the Jnanpith award in 1995 and received the Padma Bhushan in 2005. The state government honoured Nair with the Kerala Jyothi Award in 2022.

On Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu said that the world of literature has become poorer with the demise of Nair. “Rural India came alive in his writings,” Murmu said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Nair was one of the most respected figures in Malayalam literature and cinema.

“His works, with their profound exploration of human emotions, have shaped generations and will continue to inspire many more,” Modi said. “He also gave voice to the silent and marginalised.”

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed his condolences and called Nair a “true cultural icon” that captured the “soul of Kerala” through his works.

“With MT Vasudevan Nair’s passing, we’ve lost a doyen of Malayalam literature who elevated our language to global heights,” Vijayan said on Wednesday night. “His steadfast commitment to secularism and humanity leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations.”

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan also expressed his condolences and said that Nair’s death marked a “profound loss for both Malayalam and Indian literature”.

He added: “This multifaceted genius who enriched literature, cinema, and journalism, authored some of the finest works in Malayalam literature”.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is the MP from Kerala’s Wayanad, said that Nair was “true custodian of our art and literature” whose loss would be “deeply felt” by the nation.

“With the passing of Shri MT Vasudevan Nair, we bid adieu to a genius who transformed literature and cinema into powerful mediums of cultural expression,” she said. “His narratives captured the depth of human emotions and the essence of Kerala’s heritage.”

She added: “His legacy will live on in every story he told and every heart he touched.”

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said that Nair had “passed into history, leaving behind an immortal legacy in the worlds of fiction and commentary, film & screenplay”.