In July 2007, when S. R. Ashok Kumar of "The Hindu" asked eight notable directors to list ten films they liked the most, C. V. Sridhar and Ameer chose "Thiruvilaiyadal". Ameer found the film "imaginative", depicting mythology in "an interesting way", and called it "one of the best films in the annals of Tamil cinema." After Nagesh's death in 2009, "Thiruvilaiyadal" ranked fifth on the Sify list of "10 Best Films of late Nagesh"; according to its entry, the actor "was at his comic best in this film". "Thiruvilaiyadal" is included with other Sivaji Ganesan films in "8th Ulaga Adhisayam Sivaji", a compilation DVD with Ganesan's "iconic performances in the form of scenes, songs and stunts" which was released in May 2012.