The film was a commercial success at the box office and completed a hundred-day theatrical run, over the years it has turned into a cult film with a large following. The film was ranked eighth by IBN Live in its list of greatest Indian films of all time. The film is widely noted for its rich film score and songs, dialogues and characters, detailed screenplay and Mohanlal's and Sumalatha's performance. Rain is a recurring theme and is portrayed almost as a character in the film.