Renowned Malayalam playwright and novelist Omchery N. N. Pillai passed away on Friday afternoon at St. Stephen's Hospital in New Delhi. He was 100 years old.

Pillai authored nine full-length plays, over 80 one-act plays and several novels. His works are celebrated for their unique themes and vision.

Pillai won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award twice—first in 1972 for Pralayam and later in 2010 for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature. In 2022, he was honoured with the Kerala Prabha Award, the state’s second-highest civilian honour.

He was born in Kerala's Kottayam on February 1, 1924 and was living in Delhi for decades.

In a condolence message, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Pillai was an unparalled cultural icon of the southern state and an ambassador for Malayalees in the national capital. 
(with agency inputs)