The film was released in Diwali on 4 November 2002 alongside Vijay starrer Bagavathi. The Hindu reviewer claimed that "if you don't rack your brains about the feasibility of the hero's game plans, you could enjoy watching "Villain"" and that "Ajit scores on both fronts".
The film was released during Diwali on 4 November 2002 alongside Vijay starrer Bagavathi. The Hindu reviewer stated that "if you don't ponder over the hero's strategies, you can enjoy watching "Villain"" and that "Ajit performs well in both respects".