Mullum Malarum (1978)

Mullum Malarum (English: Thorn and Flower or Thorns also Blossom) is a 1978 Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by J. Mahendran, and produced by Venu Chettiar and V. Mohan. The film, which features Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu, Fatafat Jayalaxmi and Shoba in the lead roles, marked Mahendran's directorial debut and is loosely based on writer Umachandran's novel of the same name. It tells the story of Kali, a winch operator who conflicts with his superior Kumaran at a power plant, which eventually leads to the loss of his left arm and job.

The production of the film was deeply troubled; Chettiar was opposed to casting Rajinikanth as the lead protagonist because of his dark skin and tendency to portray villainous characters at the time, but Mahendran refused to direct the film without Rajinikanth and after a vehement dispute between him and Chettiar ensued, the latter eventually capitulated. Mahendran had no prior experience in film directing, and cinematographer Balu Mahendra, a director himself, had significant responsibility, involving himself in all aspects of screenplay, dialogue, camera angles, casting and editing, according to Mahendran's wishes. The film was shot mostly in Sringeri, Ooty, Glenmorgan and Kundha. After Mullum Malarum was complete, Chettiar was disoriented that the film had less dialogue than visuals, which he did not expect from Mahendran. The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.

Mullum Malarum was released on 15 August 1978 (India's Independence Day) to a tepid commercial response, but positive reviews from critics and favourable word of mouth helped it to become a success. The film was a major breakthrough for Rajinikanth, whose performance as Kali received unanimous praise and is widely considered to be the best performance of his career. Mullum Malarum became a milestone in Tamil cinema in that it focused primarily on the visual medium and realism, without excessive usage of melodrama, fights, duets or dialogue. The film won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film and the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Film, and Rajinikanth won the Arima Sangam Award for Best Actor, as well as a special prize for Best Actor at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. The success of Mullum Malarum spawned a Malayalam remake titled Venalil Oru Mazha in 1979, a Telugu remake titled Seethamma Pelli in 1984, as well as a Hindi remake titled Pyari Behna in 1985.

Synopsis

Kali (Rajinikanth) is a winch operator at a village power plant. Although a reputed troublemaker, he occasionally performs good deeds for the local community. Kali and his younger sister Valli (Shoba)—upon whom he dotes—were orphaned during their childhood, and have no close family. They take in a poor itinerant named Manga (Fatafat Jayalaxmi) and her aged mother, and accommodate both in a neighbouring hut. Manga becomes fond of Kali, but he finds her gluttony disgusting.

Acteurs