Film critic Naman Ramachandran considers the film to have an "overt political message". He, Jeeva Sahapthan of "Patrikai" and writer S. Rajanayagam interpret the scene in which many convicts fight for the chief's chair and Raja sings ""Naatkaalikku Sandai Podum Naamellam Paithiyam Thaanda"" (People who fight for a chair are mad) as a reference to infighting that occurred within the political party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) following the death of Tamil Nadu chief minister M. G. Ramachandran on 24 December 1987; after his death, the AIADMK was split into two factions. Jeeva Sahapthan notes that Raja's dialogue ""Mike aala pesaradhu andha kaalam, mike aala adikkaradhu indha kaalam"" (Talking through the microphone is old, beating with the microphone is new) references several incidents in which people were beaten with microphones.