Irrfan Khan won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for his portrayal of Ranvijay Singh in the movie.

Unfortunately, their relationship can't escape the political battles between two rival gangs of students headed by Gaurishankar Pandey and Ranvijay Singh.

The Chief Minister, Kamalnath Tiwari, helps them escape the crime scene and gets Anirudh discharged from all the cases, as Ranvijay also blackmailed him.

Kanchana Suggu of Rediff praised the acting performances of Ashutosh Rana, Tinnu Anand, Jimmy Shergill, Hrishita Bhatt and Irrfan Khan and said that, "Haasil is powerful, honest, real; it makes you cringe in your seat.

"[4] Narendra Kusnur of Mid-Day found the film to have its moments "particularly in the picturisation of violent scenes and description of the vote-getting tactics that student leaders indulge in," and wrote of Irrfan: "His eyes have a certain wickedness and intensity that suit the role.