Mullum Malarum (1978)
Plot
Mullum Malarum (transl. 'The Thorn and the Flower' or 'Even a Thorn Will Bloom'; pronounced [muɭɭum maɭaɾum]) is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Mahendran. Produced by Venu Chettiar and V. Mohan, the film stars Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu, 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 in 1966. Mullum Malarum tells the story of Kali (Rajinikanth), a winch operator of a cable trolley 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 visually focused film without formulaic Tamil cinema conventions he disliked such as melodrama, overacting, excessive dialogue and duets. Since Mahendran 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
Mullum Malarum details
| Industry | Tamil |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
| Genres | Drama |
| Runtime | 2h 23m |
| Rating | Not rated |
| Director | Mahendran |
| Status | Released |
| Language | ta |
| Record verified | 2026-09-21 |
| Source | Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · images: TMDB |
Where to watch Mullum Malarum
We have no streaming platform listed for Mullum Malarum (1978) right now. Availability changes weekly — this page was last checked 2026-09-21. If you know where it is streaming, tell us and we will verify and add it.
Tamil films in India usually surface on JioHotstar, Sun NXT, Prime Video, Aha or ZEE5 first, and rotate between them as rights deals expire. A theatrical release typically reaches streaming somewhere between four weeks and four months after it leaves cinemas.
- JioHotstar
- Sun NXT
- Prime Video
- Aha
- ZEE5
Platforms are listed per industry, not per title — we have not verified a link for this specific film, and a guessed URL is worse than none.
Mullum Malarum cast & crew
Mullum Malarum is not yet rated, with no ratings yet on record.
More like Mullum Malarum
All Tamil movies →
Mullum Malarum — questions
What is Mullum Malarum about?
Mullum Malarum (transl. 'The Thorn and the Flower' or 'Even a Thorn Will Bloom'; pronounced [muɭɭum maɭaɾum]) is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Mahendran. Produced by Venu Chettiar and V. Mohan, the film stars Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu, 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 in 1966. Mullum Malarum tells the story of Kali (Rajinikanth), a winch operator of a cable trolley 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 visually focused film without formulaic Tamil cinema conventions he disliked such as melodrama, overacting, excessive dialogue and duets. Since Mahendran 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
Who is in the cast of Mullum Malarum?
Mullum Malarum stars Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu, Jayalaxmi, Shoba and is directed by Mahendran. The full credited cast is listed above.
Where can I watch Mullum Malarum online?
We currently have no streaming platform listed for Mullum Malarum. It may be between rights deals, or only available on a service we do not track yet. This page was last checked on 2026-09-21.
How long is Mullum Malarum?
Mullum Malarum runs 2h 23m (143 minutes).
Who directed Mullum Malarum?
Mullum Malarum was directed by Mahendran.
Can I download Mullum Malarum?
Not from this site — we host no film files. Where a licensed platform carries the title, that platform’s own app is the place to download it for offline viewing. The download guide explains what each quality and format means, and the buttons there point to an external third-party app we do not own or control.
This page is a catalogue entry, not a file host. FilmyZilla does not upload, stream or link to pirated copies of Mullum Malarum or any other film. Where a legitimate platform carries the title, it is listed above with a link.