[1][2] Payanam's cast includes Nagarjuna, Prakash Raj, Poonam Kaur, Sana Khan, Rishi, Brahmanandam and Thalaivasal Vijay.

During a struggle with the pilots to divert the plane to Rawalpindi, an engine is damaged so they make an emergency landing at Tirupati Airport.

He urges the Government of India to allow a Special Forces commando operation but officials fear risking passengers' lives and do not trust Raveendra's team.

Another passenger, who is Jagadheesh (Thalaivasal Vijay), a retired army colonel, frequently irritates the terrorists with questions about their motives.

Tensions rise until Praveen (Narayan), one of the passengers who is a drug addict, attempts an escape but is shot by a terrorist, who warns the authorities to act quickly.

Raveendra's colleague Nawaz Khan (Bharath Reddy) discovers Tamil Nadu Police have identified a missing cleaner who prepared the toilet of the flight before its departure.

After a chase in Red Hills, they capture the cleaner, who admits his involvement in the plot and gives vague information about the size of the weapon he placed in the toilet.

Through a female cleaner, he secretly sends a mobile phone hidden in a food packet onto the plane so he can exchange information with Colonel Jagadheesh.

Radha Mohan, after directing the family-oriented romance and drama films Azhagiya Theeye, Mozhi and Abhiyum Naanum, decided to produce an action thriller about an aircraft hijacking.

[15] Art director Kathir erected a grand set resembling Tirupati airport at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

[19] Rediff.com rated Payanam 3.5 out of 5 and stated; "The sequences are logical, even while allowing for dashes of humour, soul-searching, and feel-good factors; the whole setting has a realistic feel that draws you in".

[24] According to Indian film critic Baradwaj Rangan: "You could call Payanam a cross between a disaster movie (say, Airport) and a Mouli stage play.

There's such an air of bonhomous familiarity to those who grew up in the seventies and the eighties, reading Vikatan jokes about actresses named Kalasri.

[27] The Hindu noted; "The film grabs audience attention from the word go – you're worried about the plight of the passengers one minute, chuckling the very next at the wry humour, and before long, gripped by the suspense".

A critic from The Times of India gave a score of 2.5 out of 5 and said; "Radhamohan's Payanam would have been a more engaging watch only if the journey was a littler shorter".

[29] Behindwoods gave it 2 out of 5 and said; "Although humour shares equal space with action and suspense, a slight swaying on the lighter side dilutes the serious effect a wee bit which could have been taken care of".

[33] A critic from 123telugu awarded "two big thumbs up for the film ... go watch it", and said: "Even if you are an ardent follower of commercial cinema, you never know when you might become a convert and embrace newer genres.

[35] A critic from Full Hyderabad said the film is "Uncluttered, brief (with a runtime of about 2 hours) and edgy", and said; "if that's all you'd like out of your Telugu movie this weekend, head for Gaganam".