Book on MT's first wife sparks row, daughters seek withdrawal

A simmering literary controversy in Kerala has erupted into a full-blown public row, with the daughters of legendary Malayalam writer MT Vasudevan Nair demanding the immediate withdrawal of a recently published book that revisits aspects of his personal life.

- AM Abdussalam

The book, eMpTy sPaCe: Bashpeekruthayude Aaram Viral, jointly authored by scriptwriter Deedi Damodaran and writer Echumukutty, has drawn sharp criticism from Nair's daughters, who allege that it contains factual inaccuracies, half-truths and unsubstantiated claims that amount to a posthumous character assassination.

The book claims to focus on the life of Prameela Nair, Vasudevan Nair’s first wife and a writer and translator in her own right.