Bhakta Prahlada was released on 6 February 1932, and was positively received by the audience but variedly by critics, who panned its resemblance to the stage version, poor sound recording, and low-quality images.

[1] The cast is adapted from The Hindu:[1] Following his success in Hindi cinema with India's first sound film Alam Ara (1931), the producer Ardeshir Irani decided to expand his career to South Indian cinema; his plan was to release one film each in Telugu and Tamil, which would later be titled Bhakta Prahlada and Kalidas (1931) respectively, in the same year.

[1] M. L. Narasimham of The Hindu reported in 2011 that Surabhi Theatres, who produced the play, was initially hesitant of the decision without mentioning the rationale.

[1][4] H. R. Padmanabha Sastry from Prabhat Film Company composed the soundtrack, and the lyrics were provided by Ramakrishnamacharyulu and Chandala Kesavadasu, including poems by the 15th-century writer Pothana.

[1] Bhakta Prahlada was believed to have been released on 15 September 1931,[6] but the film historian Rentala Jayadeva found out that it actually premiered on 6 February 1932 (in Bombay).

[1] It was a commercial success but generated varied opinions from critics, owing to its resemblance to the stage version, poor sound recording, and the picture's low quality.