Aswathy V Nair, born to the legendary writer MT Vasudevan Nair and renowned dancer Kalamandalam Saraswathy, is an exponent of Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam, and Kuchipudi. In a unique effort to connect her father’s literary heritage to a global audience, she ventures into filmmaking as the co-producer—and unexpectedly, as a director—of Manorathangal, an ambitious anthology series of nine films based on her father’s acclaimed short stories. Now streaming on Zee5, the series brings together a host of gifted directors and exceptional actors, each offering their distinct voice to the iconic nonagenarian writer’s richly layered narratives.
As we sit down for a conversation, Aswathy, who also helmed a segment in the anthology titled Vilpana, reflects on the monumental task of bringing MT’s profound stories to life on screen through the series. She also offers insights into her journey of preserving and expanding the legacy of one of India’s most revered writers and shares her thoughts on why MT’s stories continue to resonate with audiences across generations. It was during the COVID lockdown, that I watched Stories by Rabindranath Tagore (2015) on Netflix and thoroughly enjoyed it.
That’s when the idea of creating an anthology based on achan’s stories struck me. That was the seed that set Manorathangal in motion. Initially, I shortlisted about 50 stories, aiming to capture narratives from 1957 to 1998.
With achan’s help, I reduced the number from 50 to 20. Narro.