Mullum Malarum
NFAI poster
Directed by	J. Mahendran
Screenplay by	J. Mahendran
Produced by	Venu Chettiar V. Mohan
Starring	Rajinikanth Sarath Babu Fatafat Jayalaxmi Shoba
Cinematography	Balu Mahendra
Edited by	D. Vasu
Music by	Ilaiyaraaja
Production company	Ananthi Films
Release date	15 August 1978 (1978-08-15)
Running time	143–145 minutes[a]
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Mullum Malarum (transl. The Thorn and the Flower [or] Even a Thorn Will Bloom; pronounced [muɭɭum maɭaɾ̪um]) is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by J. Mahendran. Produced by Venu Chettiar and V. Mohan, the film stars Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu, Fatafat Jayalaxmi and Shoba. It marks Mahendran's directorial debut and is partly based on Uma Chandran's novel of the same name, which was serialised in the Tamil magazine Kalki. Mullum Malarum tells the story of Kali (Rajinikanth), a winch operator who dotes on his sister Valli (Shoba) since they were orphaned, and clashes with his boss Kumaran (Sarath Babu).

Mahendran read only part of the novel, and developed the screenplay as he wanted, making a minimalist, visually-focused film without formulaic Tamil cinema conventions such as melodrama, overacting, excessive dialogue and duets. Since he had no previous directing experience, cinematographer Balu Mahendra, who was already an established director, assisted him with the screenplay, dialogue, camera angles, casting and editing. Principal photography lasted for about 30 days, taking place primarily in Sringeri, Karnataka, though some scenes were also filmed in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. The film was edited by D. Vasu, and the soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.

Mullum Malarum was released on 15 August 1978, India's Independence Day. Although it opened to tepid box-office earnings, positive reviews from critics and favourable word of mouth in later weeks helped make it a success with a theatrical run of over 100 days. The film received praise primarily for Rajinikanth's performance, Balu Mahendra's cinematography, Ilaiyaraaja's music, Mahendran's writing and establishing cinema as a "visual medium". It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film and Rajinikanth won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his performance.

Mullum Malarum became a breakthrough for Rajinikanth as an actor and a milestone of Tamil cinema for focusing prominently on visuals and realism without the formulaic Tamil cinema conventions that Mahendran disliked. He continued following this style in all his later films. The film's success inspired a Malayalam remake titled Venalil Oru Mazha in 1979, and a Hindi version titled Pyari Behna in 1985.

Plot

Kali and his sister Valli, orphaned in early childhood, live in the village of Athipatti. Kali is an employee of a powerhouse; from a shed on a hilltop, he controls the winch for a cable trolley, ferrying employees back and forth to the powerhouse in the valley below. Kali seethes at displays of unfeelingness. In revenge for a rich man's cruelty to a porter, he breaks the headlight of the man's car. Kali also performs acts of kindness; at the village's temple tank, Kali aids an old man who is faltering on the steps. Both acts are observed by Kumaran, the newly arrived divisional engineer at the powerhouse..

At their first meeting, Kumaran notices Kali about to give free rides in the trolley to some townspeople, none of whom are employees of the powerhouse. When he orders the passengers out, citing rules of operation, and steps in alone, Kali feels insulted. He exacts revenge by stopping the winch when the trolley is half-way downhill, making Kumaran walk the remainder of the way. Elsewhere, Valli meets a young woman, Manga, who, along with her mother, has arrived from a drought-stricken town. Both women are hungry, and the mother is looking for work. Valli feeds them, shelters them for the night, and talks to Kali about allowing them the use of the vacant house next door.

Kali, meanwhile, has been assaulting fellow employees whom he suspects of reporting him to Kumaran. Kali is given a final warning by Kumaran, a prelude to serious disciplinary action should such behavior continue. Later, as Kali is repairing some machinery, Manga appears. They begin to flirt, and this culminates in Kali chasing Manga all the way to the river where they frolic, before Kali rushes back to work. In his absence, a child living in the valley has needed medical attention. When the emergency alarm has rung for several minutes, a passerby steps in to operate the winch. The child is transported back in the trolley and dispatched to a hospital. The following day Kumaran suspends Kali from his job for ten days for gross misconduct.

Kali goes to the nearby village Mullimalai to relieve his anger, joining the tribals there in singing and dancing. As he staggers home drunk, he passes out on an unlit street, whereupon a passing truck mangles his left arm, which is later amputated. The powerhouse fires Kali since he can no longer adequately perform his job. Later that night, Valli wonders aloud if Manga might make a good wife for Kali, a possibility to which he gradually warms up. After Valli receives Manga's consent as well, a simple wedding ceremony is held at the local temple. Kumaran attends and brings a present of cash, which Kali spurns, but Manga accepts.

Kumaran, for his part, is attracted to Valli. After ascertaining her willingness for marriage, he requests Kali's permission. Kali, who asks Kumaran to return the following day, impulsively corners a local grocer, Murgesa, known for his flirtatious advances, and offers his sister's hand in marriage. An engagement ceremony for Murgesa and Valli is arranged, whose news sends Valli reeling, though she makes no protest. At the ceremony, Kali is about to offer Murgesa a platter of betel leaves—whose acceptance affirms the engagement—when Manga angrily knocks it out of Kali's hand. Enraged, Kali physically assaults her repeatedly, but she remains uncowed and unapologetic.

The next day, Manga convinces Kumaran and Valli to marry without Kali's knowledge. On the appointed wedding day, Kali wakes up to find the house empty. From Murgesa, he learns about the wedding and accosts the wedding party on its way to the temple. When he accuses Valli of neglecting him because of his handicap, Valli is filled with guilt and rushes into his arms, sobbing. Kali triumphantly reminds the onlookers that he remains the most important man in his sister's life. Although his dislike of Kumaran lingers, his ego having been assuaged, he offers his blessings for the marriage.

Cast

• Rajinikanth as Kali
• Sarath Babu as Kumaran
• Fatafat Jayalaxmi as Manga
• Shoba as Valli
• Venniradai Moorthy as Murugesa

Production

Development

Mullum Malarum, a novel written by Uma Chandran, was serialised in 1966 in the Tamil magazine, Kalki.^[3][4] It won the first prize in Kalki's novel competition for the magazine's silver jubilee in 1966.^[5][6] After screenwriter J. Mahendran had been pressured unsuccessfully by many film producers to write for them, he solicited for novels to adapt, one of which was Mullum Malarum.^[7] Resonating with the egotistical character of the winch operator Kali, he began writing a script starting with the childhood of Kali and his sister Valli, without being entirely faithful to the source material, having read only till the chapter where Kali loses his arm to a tiger.^[8][9] Mahendran decided to make a minimalist, visually-focused film without formulaic Tamil cinema conventions such as melodrama, overacting, excessive dialogue or duets, claiming he wrote the screenplay as if it was a "personal diary" of his thoughts.^[10] Unlike the novel, in Mahendran's screenplay Kali loses his arm when it is mangled by a truck.^[11] In addition, the novel ends with the deaths of Kali and his wife Manga, which Mahendran did not include in his screenplay.^[12] One producer rejected the script because it lacked formula, and instead adapted Mahendran's play Rishi Moolam into a film.^[10]

Venu Chettiar of Ananthi Films, a friend of Mahendran, wanted to produce a film and offered him to direct it. Chettiar reacted fervently after being informed of Mullum Malarum, consenting to the project without hearing the complete story.^[13] Under the assumption that Chettiar had only accepted due to an intrinsic will to produce another successful brother-sister film like the melodramatic Pasamalar (1961), Mahendran refrained from disclosing to him that what he visualised was radically different.^[14] Mahendran would direct the film himself, marking his directorial debut,^[15] with Chettiar and V. Mohan producing it.^[16][b] Ramasamy was signed as art director,^[16] and D. Vasu as editor.^[17] Ramachandra Babu declined when approached by Mahendran to be the cinematographer, and Ashok Kumar, whom Ramachandra Babu suggested, could not accept to work on the film.^[18][19] Mahendran was unable to find a worthy cinematographer until actor Kamal Haasan introduced him to Balu Mahendra, who agreed to work on the film, making his debut in Tamil cinema.^[20][21] Haasan worked as a production manager on the film.^[22]

Casting

After the release of Aadu Puli Attam in 1977, Mahendran expressed his desire to Rajinikanth to star as the male lead in his directorial debut film.^[23] Though Chettiar remonstrated against the actor's suitability for the role due to his dark skin and typecasting as a villain,^[24][25] he reluctantly capitulated after Mahendran intransigently declared that he could not possibly direct the film without him, believing him to be tailor-made for the part.^[26][25] Rajinikanth, dismayed at Chettiar's lack of confidence in his acting, promised to "put his heart and soul into the character Kali".^[27]

After directing the Kannada film Kokila (1977), Balu Mahendra wanted its lead actress Shoba to act in his first Tamil film.^[28] She was eventually cast as Valli, alongside Sarath Babu as the divisional engineer Kumaran and Fatafat Jayalaxmi as Manga.^[1] Mahendran cast Venniradai Moorthy as Murugesa, the philandering grocer,^[29] and Samikannu was given a role as one of Kali's henchmen.^[30] Male supporting roles were played by S. A. Kannan, Pazhaniyappan, Dasaradan, Rangamani, Sarathi, Santhanam,^[16] Kumarimuthu,^[31] Jothi Shanmugham, Chellappa, Amalraj, Poondigiri and Vairam Krishnamoorthy. Female supporting roles were played by Santhamma, Jayakumari, Vijaya, Jaya, Pushpa, Radha, Prema, Vasanthi, Leela and Kala.^[16]

Filming

Mullum Malarum was filmed on 35 mm ORWO colour film.^[32][33] It was shot primarily in Sringeri, Karnataka, with additional filming in Ooty, Tamil Nadu; principal photography lasted about 30 days.^[34][35] Chettiar initially refused to let Mahendran shoot in Sringeri, citing financial constraints, but Mahendran's friend Pazhaniappan convinced Chettiar and agreed to pay for the Sringeri shooting schedule.^[36] Once while passing through Pondicherry, Mahendran witnessed a game of Uriyadi,^[c] which inspired him to include two Uriyadi scenes in the film which were not originally part of the script.^[38] Mahendran also decided to characterise Manga as a "meen paithiyam" (meaning a "foodie who loves fish") after being inspired by Sringeri's marine environment.^[9][39] Balu Mahendra stated that he avoided incorporating the usual hero-heroine dancing into the film because he thought it was like "watching two drunken monkeys dancing". Instead, he allocated music to the background when the lead characters expressed their emotions.^[40] Since Mahendran had no previous directing experience, Balu Mahendra, who was already an established director, assumed responsibility and responded to Mahendran's suggestions for screenplay, dialogue, camera angles, casting and editing.^[28] He shot the film predominantly using natural light.^[32]

According to Mahendran, Chettiar never arrived at the shooting spot;^[41] he expected a melodramatic, dialogue-heavy film,^[4][42] and would have shelved the film had he known about Mahendran's filmmaking style.^[43] During the filming of the climax where Kali lets Kumaran marry Valli despite their enmity, Sarath Babu disputed the part where Kali professes to still dislike Kumaran, leading him to storm off the set. When he was brought back by the producer, he tempestuously confronted Mahendran, who informed him that Kali dislikes Kumaran till the end. He offered the possibility of filming it with Kali saying those words without Kumaran present, but Sarath Babu ultimately appeared.^[44] According to Mahendran, Chettiar was discontent with the budget escalating, initially refusing to finance a scene set before the song "Senthazham Poovil", but he was won over by Haasan who financed the scene.^[45][46] Sarath Babu was originally supposed to lip sync the full "Senthazham Poovil" scene, picturised on Kumaran and Valli, but Mahendra and Mahendran agreed on a montage after the actor performed a line or two.^[28] Chettiar was perplexed by the finished film's lack of dialogue, since he hired Mahendran as director due to his success as a dialogue writer and did not expect such a visually-focused film.^[47][25] Mullum Malarum's final reel length was 3,915.46 metres (12,846.0 ft).^[48]

Themes

The film critic Naman Ramachandran notes that Uma Chandran's novel and Mahendran's film metaphorically liken the relationship between siblings to flowers, which need thorns to protect them.^[11] According to another critic, Baradwaj Rangan, "Mullum Malarum" can be interpreted in two ways: "the thorn and the flower", which describes Kali and Valli; and "even a thorn will bloom", which points to the end where Kali softens.^[49] Mahendran considered the latter the real meaning of the film's title.^[50] S. Rajanayagam, author of the 2015 book Popular Cinema and Politics in South India: The Films of MGR and Rajinikanth, wrote that Kali is a thorn and a flower throughout the film: an "angry young man with a kind heart" who does not admit mistakes, despite having committed acts such as breaking car headlights and allowing people to ride the trolley, in violation of the powerhouse's rules.^[51] He noted that films like Mullum Malarum stereotype the poor as representing "all that is pristine and traditional". Additionally, he noted that the "overall socio-economic system, which has made them poor, is unchallenged. Within the system, however, the hero will be 'richer' in terms of his moral uprightness".^[52]

According to the film historian Yves Thoraval, the film's theme is "the Oedipal [sic] possessiveness of a married brother for his younger sister".^[53] Ramachandran notes that Kali, like Rajinikanth's character in Bairavi (1978), is responsible for his sister's welfare. Unlike Bairavi, the siblings in Mullum Malarum are not separated; this leads Kali's protectiveness of Valli to the brink of obsession.^[11] Ramachandran regards egotism as one of Mullum Malarum's central themes, identifying Kali as the alpha male of his community.^[54] According to an article published in Cinema Vision India, the film stresses "that people change—and they must".^[55] Ramachandran notes that when Kali's arm is amputated, he feels helpless and emasculated; Kumaran, his bête noire, becomes an easy target. Kali refuses to see the benefits of his sister marrying a wealthy and educated man, even when Manga asks for his consent, but sees the error of his ways when Valli abandons her wedding party to join her brother: "My sister has shown all of you that I am the most important person in her life. I need only that happiness for the rest of my life. And it is with that pride and arrogance that I give my permission for my sister to marry".^[32] Writing for Frontline, Venkatesh Chakravarthy noted that the film ends with Kali relenting to Valli's desire to marry the man she wishes but not before he tells Kumaran that he still dislikes him, "which makes the film open-ended with a feel that life goes on".^[4]

Music

Mullum Malarum's soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Panchu Arunachalam, Gangai Amaran and Kannadasan.^[56] Unlike most Tamil films of that time, the film does not include any duets.^[57] The song "Adi Penney" is set in the Carnatic raga known as Madhyamavati.^[58] "Raman Aandaalum" is set in Mayamalavagowla,^[59] and "Senthazham Poovil" is set in Bowli.^[60] "Maan Iname", sung by Ilaiyaraaja, does not feature on the soundtrack.^[61][56] Elements of "Raman Aandaalum" were later used in "Machi Open the Bottle", composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja for Mankatha (2011).^[62][63]

Release and reception

Although Mullum Malarum was cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification on 4 August 1978,^[48] Chettiar's refusal to finance the scene before "Senthazham Poovil" led to a delay in the film's release.^[20] After Haasan's intervention,^[66] it was released on 15 August (India's Independence Day).^[67] As the film's commercial performance during its first few weeks was poor, both Mahendran and Rajinikanth summoned Chettiar to further publicise the film to improve its revenues.^[68] He declined, caustically replying, "A good product needs no publicity, whereas a bad product cannot be pushed in the market however much you publicise it".^[69] During its third or fourth week of release, positive magazine reviews and favourable word of mouth spread; Mullum Malarum became a commercial success, with a theatrical run of over 100 days.^[d] Chettiar later apologised to Mahendran, who in turn thanked him for letting him make the film.^[72]

After watching the film and being impressed with Rajinikanth's performance, his mentor, director K. Balachander wrote in a letter of appreciation that he was proud to have introduced him as an actor in Tamil cinema.^[73][74] Balachander's letter has been described by Sify as Rajinikanth's "most prized moment and possession".^[75] After its success, Mullum Malarum was remade in Malayalam by Sreekumaran Thampi as Venalil Oru Mazha (1979) and in Hindi by Bapu as Pyari Behna (1985).^[32] It was also dubbed in Telugu as Mullu Puvvu, and released in 1979.^[76]

Critical reception

Mullum Malarum was well received at the time of its initial release, with commentators applauding it for establishing cinema as a "visual medium" and describing it as the coming of age of Tamil cinema.^[77] The writer of a 25 August 1978 review in The Hindu stated that the film reflected the trend of making films that do not have the "usual formula of fights, duets, intrigues and cabaret dances". The reviewer further noted that Rajinikanth showed "his mature artistry in a portrayal of a turbulent illiterate worker with a blind passion for his sister". They also praised the performances of Shoba and Jayalaxmi, called Balu Mahendra's camera work a "feast for the eyes", and Ilaiyaraaja's melodies "delicious"; although the first half of the film moves at a "leisurely pace", the second half is "eventful".^[30] The Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, in its 3 September 1978 review, applauded the performances of Rajinikanth and Sarath Babu, along with Balu Mahendra's cinematography and Ilaiyaraaja's music. The reviewer also praised Mahendran's filmmaking skills and the fact that he told the story in a sharp manner without long dialogues, likening the film to Kurinchi flowers due to their rarity and rating it 61 out of 100.^[78][79]

After watching the film, M. G. Ramachandran—the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu—told Mahendran that he had no words to express his happiness, and that Mahendran set a new trend in Tamil cinema with Mullum Malarum. Ramachandran stated that Mahendran had reached a milestone beyond expectations. He added that Mahendran demonstrated clearly that cinema is a "visual medium". Ramachandran commented that the depiction of brother-sister relationships in film up to this point were full of dramatics, even in his own, but Mullum Malarum stood apart in its realism. He said the final scene was new not only to Tamil cinema but also to Indian cinema. Ramachandran lauded Rajinikanth's realistic acting and hoped the film would mark a big turnaround in his career.^[80]

Accolades

Mullum Malarum won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil,^[81] and two awards at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards: Best Film, and Special Prize for Rajinikanth,^[82][32] who also won the Arima Sangam Award for Best Actor.^[83] The film was screened at the 1979 International Film Festival of India as part of the Indian Panorama.^[2][e]

Legacy

Mullum Malarum was a breakthrough for Rajinikanth as an actor and a milestone of Tamil cinema for focusing prominently on visuals and realism without excessive melodrama and other formulaic Tamil cinema conventions that Mahendran disliked.^[57][85][86] Mahendran continued following this style in all his later films.^[4] Gayathri Sreekanth wrote in The Name is Rajinikanth that it "gave a new dimension to brother and sister relations on screen" and established Rajinikanth as an "actor par finesses".^[87] According to K. Balamurugan of Rediff.com, the film established that Rajinikanth "can be a director's actor too" and widened his fan base "from youngsters to the families and the women".^[88] In December 2013, The Times of India said that with this film, Rajinikanth "dispelled whatever doubts remained about his acting ability".^[89]

"Kali" (alternatively, Kaali) became Rajinikanth's most-frequent onscreen name; his characters in Kaali (1980), Kai Kodukkum Kai (1984) and Petta (2019) also shared that name.^[90][91] According to The New Indian Express, Rajinikanth informed Gayathri Sreekanth that Mullum Malarum was his favourite film and Mahendran his favourite director,^[25] while the film producer and writer G. Dhananjayan wrote that Mullum Malarum is one of five films Rajinikanth considers "close to his heart".^[f] In October 2015, director Pa. Ranjith said that Rajinikanth's characterisation in Mullum Malarum was a "lesson" of sorts for him, and the actor's character in Ranjith's Kabali (2016) was influenced by Kali in Mullum Malarum.^[93] "Raman Aandaalum" was later featured in the climax of Petta.^[94][95]

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Mahendran, J. (2013) [2004]. Cinemavum Naanum [Cinema and Me] (in Tamil). Karpagam Publications. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563579-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rajanayagam, S. (2015). Popular Cinema and Politics in South India: The Films of MGR and Rajinikanth. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-138-82203-0. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Ramachandran, Naman (2014) [2012]. Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-342111-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Sreekanth, Gayathri (2008). The Name Is Rajinikanth. Om Books International. ISBN 978-81-87108-44-3. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Sundararaman (2007) [2005]. Raga Chintamani: A Guide to Carnatic Ragas Through Tamil Film Music (2nd ed.). Pichhamal Chintamani. OCLC 295034757. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

• Mullum Malarum at IMDb
• Mullum Malarum at Rotten Tomatoes
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