"Mersal" was released worldwide on 18 October 2017, which coincides with the Diwali festival. Before its release, the movie faced problems regarding title issues, and censorship because, the film refused to approve NoC from the Animal Welfare Board of India for the use of few animals without permission. As a result, Central Board of Film Certification refused approval for censorship. On 16 October 2017, the film received a U/A certificate from CBFC, with few cuts after receiving NoC from AWBI.