Dr MV Pillai is a good public speaker. Even during his school days, in Model High School, Thiruvananthapuram, he had excelled in debates and speeches. He admits that the school atmosphere helped him to develop his communication skills. Dr. Pillai was the winner of several intercollegiate debates during his college days, the most notable was the one connected with the Centennial celebrations of University College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Public speech capabilities may be intrinsic, as the family has produced several distinguished orators. Apart from the hereditary factor, he is thankful to the editor of Kumkumam Publications for helping him to maintain his links with Malayalam language and Literature. The founder of Kumkumam Publications had a strong personal liking for him and he made it a point to send their major publications to Dr. Pillai every week, wherever he was, for the past quarter of a century.

Dr. Pillai says that a good speech can never be prepared before hand. One has to speak according to the likes of the audience. Their frequency too has to be taken into consideration. Otherwise a good orator will not bloom. And oratory can never be 100 per cent true, because one has to add several extrinsic things to make it appealing.

He says he can never elevate oratory to an art, because art demands 100 per cent accuracy. His commitments as a doctor restricts him from devoting much time to develop this venerable art.