Murappennu (1965 ) scripted by MT Vasudevan Nair, which was also his debut into Malayalam films, told the story of an extended family, the bitterness and feud brought about by tradition and customs, of frayed, estranged relationships and helpless souls caught amidst them in the joint Hindu family.

Adapted from the Sultan’s short story Neelavelicham from the compilation of his short stories Paavappettavarudey Veshya (The Destitutes’ Whore), the story emphatically told you and showed you the existence of the supernatural and a narrative that was heart-warming and gut-wrenching at the same time, told in simple prose, the way only the Sultan could.