K. T. Muhammed (1927 – March 25, 2008), popularly known as KT, was a famous Malayalam playwright

Playwright

A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...

 and screenwriter

Screenwriter

Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...

. He had scripted about 40 stage plays, including Idhu Bhumiyanu (This is the Earth), considered to be his masterpiece. He had also written screenplay for about 20 films, including Kandam Becha Kottu, Thurakkatha Vathil, Moodupadam

Moodupadam

Moodupadam is a 1963 Malayalam language film directed by Ramu Kariat and scripted by K. T. Muhammed based on S. K. Pottekkatt's novel of the same name. Sathyan and Ambika play the lead roles. It is a social film about the relationship between three major religious faiths in Kerala, Hindu, Muslim...

, and Kadalpalam

Kadalpalam

Kadalpalam is a 1969 Malayalam language film directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Jayabharathi, Sheela, Bahadoor and Adoor Bhasi star in the lead. The film is an adaptation of the very popular professional stage play of the same name authored by the renowned dramatist K. T....

. KT was a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...

.

Early life

K.T. was born in Manjeri

Manjeri

Manjeri is a town and municipality in Malappuram District in the state of Kerala, India. It is the commercial capital of Malappuram District and is 28 km from an international airport and 50 km from Kozhikode railway station....

 in Malappuram district as the eldest son of a policeman and had very little formal education. After schooling he worked as a clerk in the postal department. In 1952 he got the first prize in an all India short story contest for his story Kannukal (Eyes) which was later translated into many foreign languages. He was an active member of Brothers Music Club of Kozhikode

Kozhikode

Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...

 which was the training ground of many famous artists. He worked as the editor of Chithrakarthika weekly for a brief period of time. He started Sangamam Theatre a professional drama troup which staged many of his famous plays both inside and outside the state. In 1971, he was nominated as the Chairman of Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy

Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Thrissur

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi is located in Thrissur city, of Kerala, in India.It was established on 26 April 1958, inautgurated by then Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Its aim is to foster and develop Kerala dance, drama and music and to promote the cultural unity of Kerala...

 and in 1974 as Chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation.

He died on March 25, 2008 at Calicut.

Literary career

His plays celebrate the values of basic human dignity which transcend the barriers of religion or community.

Selected plays

• Oorum Perum (A Person with Name and Dignity)
• Avar Theerumanikkunnu (They are Deciding)
• Karavatta Pashu (The Cow that Stopped Milking)
• Manushyan Karagruhathil (Man in Prison)
• Ithu Bhoomiyanu (This is the Earth)
• Kaffar
• Acchanum Bappayum
• Naalkkavala (The Junction)
• Njan Pedikkunnu (I am Getting Frightened)
• Kainathikal
• Pendulam
• Kalithokku (The Toy Gun)
• Operation Theatre
• Srishti (The Creation)
• Sthithi
• Samharam (The Annihilation)
• Sakshatkaram (The Fulfillment)
• Samanwayam (The Union)
• Sanatanum (The Eternal)
• Sannaham
• Vellapokkam (The Flood)
• Deepasthambam Mahashcharyam

Awards

• Kerala State Film Award
  Kerala State Film Award
  The Kerala State Film Awards are the most prestigious film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy since 1998 on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, India....
  
  s twice, for the Best Screenwriting
  Screenwriting
  Screenwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is a freelance profession....
  
  ; Kumarasambavam, 1969 and Achanum Bappayum, 1972
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
  Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
  Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
  
  , 1986
• Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam "Sahithya Award", 2005

External links

• K. T. at Calicutcity.com