 The film is an adaptation of the novel "Dhayam" that was written by Kamal Haasan in 1984.Although a commercial failure during its release, "Aalavandhan" and "Abhay" won the National Film Award for Best Special Effects for its creative execution of live and animated special effects which enhance the dramatic impact of the film.The film later attained cult status and its animated action sequence went on to inspire American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino to create an anime sequence in his 2003 martial arts film "".