When the movie was released, various political parties staged demonstrations to prevent theaters from showing the movie. Still the movie is regarded as one of Mani Ratnam's best works.
For the role of Tamizhselvan, Nana Patekar was first approached but he withdrew after discussions about his remuneration, later it was offered to Kamal Haasan, Sathyaraj Mammootty, R. Sarathkumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Arvind Swamy, and Madhavan. The role ultimately went to Prakash Raj.
The film was showcased in The Masters section at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. The film won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival.
In a conversation with Priyadarshan, praising Mohanlal's performance in the film, Mani Ratnam said that "I will not work with him again. Because, mesmerized by his performance I forget to say 'cut' when the scene finishes".
In an interview with Baradwaj Rangan, Mani Rtanam named Iruvar as his "best work".