The series' basic plot line was adapted from the famous Telugu crime novel "Thommidi Ghantalu," authored by Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy.

[3] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu in her review stated that "The payoffs in the form of twists and turns happen rather late and are not enough.

[4] Echoing the same, Pinkvilla's Arvind V opined that "The survival drama trappings deserved a better canvas, and a profound script.

[5] Comparing it with Money Heist, Latha Srinivasan of Firstpost praised the performances of the ensemble cast while criticizing the screenplay and writing.

[6] Giving a mixed review, Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India wrote that "You don't always buy what 9 Hours is selling you, there are moments you will pause and wonder how plausible whatever is playing out on screen is.