Playwright, poet, and writer Omchery N N Pillai passed away in Delhi on Friday. He was 100. A prominent figure in Delhi’s Malayali literary and cultural circles for decades, his plays focused on the struggles of the marginalized.

His play Pralayam won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1972, and his memoir Aakasmikam, detailing his life and experiences in Delhi, earned the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2020. In 2022, he was honored with the Kerala Prabha Award, a new civilian recognition by the Kerala government.

Born in Vaikom in 1924, Pillai completed his higher education at University College, Thiruvananthapuram, and Government Law College, Ernakulam. He joined All India Radio in Delhi in 1951 and later worked with the Publications Division and the Publicity Division of the Union government. During his career, he also pursued research in communication at various universities in the United States.

His wife, classical musician and musicologist Leela Omchery, who contributed extensively to Indian classical and folk music, passed away last year.