''Azhiyadha Kolangal'' opened to critical acclaim and was commercially successful too.<ref name=hindu1 /><ref name=DFF /> Ranga of ''Kalki'' wrote Balu has turned a literary short story into a sweet new poem with his camera.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=ரங்கா |date=23 December 1979 |title=அழியாத கோலங்கள் |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1979-12-23/page/n65/mode/2up |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=62-6362–63 |access-date=2023-03-13}}</ref> Along with ''[[Uthiripookkal]]'' it was the only Tamil film to be shown at the [[International Film Festival of India]] in 1980.<ref name=DFF /> The film's camera work was considered to be very innovative and was very different from other Tamil films that had come before.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chellappan |first=Kumar |date=12 February 2012 |title=Balu Mahendra: A poet who used shots and scenes to tell stories |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-balu-mahendra-a-poet-who-used-shots-and-scenes-to-tell-stories-1648926 |url-status=live |access-date=27 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205152555/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-balu-mahendra-a-poet-who-used-shots-and-scenes-to-tell-stories-1648926 |archive-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> The film is widely considered to be one of Mahendra's "masterpieces".<ref>{{Cite news |last=B. |first=Kolappan |last2=Subramanian |first2=Karthik |date=13 February 2014 |title=Master craftsman who was also a great teacher |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/master-craftsman-who-was-also-a-great-teacher/article5684162.ece |url-status=live |access-date=27 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707053554/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/master-craftsman-who-was-also-a-great-teacher/article5684162.ece |archive-date=7 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=14 February 2014 |title=Balu dead |work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140214/jsp/nation/story_17937110.jsp#.VHd-AtKUdDI |url-status=dead |access-date=27 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204202340/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140214/jsp/nation/story_17937110.jsp#.VHd-AtKUdDI |archive-date=4 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=23 February 2014 |title=Film Fraternity Pays Respects to the Veteran |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Film-Fraternity-Pays-Respects-to-the-Veteran/2014/02/14/article2055534.ece |url-status=live |access-date=27 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222210305/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Film-Fraternity-Pays-Respects-to-the-Veteran/2014/02/14/article2055534.ece |archive-date=22 December 2014}}</ref>
