Mullum Malarum
| Mullum Malarum | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Tamil | முள்ளும் மலரும் |
| Directed by | J. Mahendran |
| Produced by | Venu Chettiar V. Mohan |
| Screenplay by | J. Mahendran |
| Based on |
Mullum Malarum by Umachandran |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
| Cinematography | Balu Mahendra |
| Edited by | D. Vasu |
|
Production
company |
Ananthi Films
|
|
Release date
|
15 August 1978 |
|
Running time
|
143-145 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Mullum Malarum (English: The thorn and the flower) is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by J. Mahendran and produced by Venu Chettiar and V. Mohan, with a soundtrack by Ilaiyaraaja. The film, starring Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu, Fatafat Jayalaxmi and Shoba, marked Mahendran's directorial debut and is loosely based on Umachandran's novel of the same name. It tells the story of Kali, a winch operator who dotes on his sister and clashes with Kumaran, his superior, at a power plant; the dispute eventually costs him his left arm and his job.
The film's production was tumultuous. Chettiar opposed casting Rajinikanth as the protagonist because of his dark skin and typecasting as a villain at the time, but Mahendran refused to direct the film without the actor and Chettiar capitulated. Since Mahendran had no previous directing experience, cinematographer Balu Mahendra (a director himself) assisted Mahendran with the screenplay, dialogue, camera angles, casting and editing. The film significantly deviates from the novel, with Mahendran having read only a part of it. Filming lasted for roughly 30 days, and primarily took place in Sringeri. Chettiar was surprised that the finished film had less dialogue than visuals, which he did not expect from Mahendran.
Although Mullum Malarum opened to a tepid box office reception at its 15 August 1978 (Independence Day) release, positive reviews from critics and favourable word of mouth helped make it a success. Rajinikanth's performance as Kali received unanimous praise, and it is widely considered the best performance of his career. The film won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for Rajinikanth, who also won the Arima Sangam Award for Best Actor
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